‘Control freak’ Ansell utilising his grounding at Letchworth
TOM ANSELL ditched rugby to chase a career in boxing but the welterweight contender says he is reaping the benefit of his grounding in the oval ball game.
A former fly-half and captain for Letchworth and Hertfordshire, the 26year old Ansell decided to put down the kicking tee and pick up a pair of boxing gloves in 2014.
In the five years since he has soared, with five wins from five fights and is now awaiting a Sky Sports Matchroom bout on March 23, opponent yet to be named. But rugby remains prominent in Ansell’s mind.
“I’m a control freak during training – I have times set for everything,” Ansell told The Rugby
Paper, while trying to catch his breath after an intense 47 minutes of hitting the bags. “Rugby had a massive influence on me growing up. My older brother played so as soon as I could walk I was playing rugby.
“But even though I was captain of Hertfordshire, I wasn’t getting anywhere and I always wanted to be a professional athlete. Boxing presented a chance, so I had to take it.
“When I was 21, I would play rugby in the morning and box in the afternoon, to get fitter for rugby. I didn’t think it was too much then but when boxing started to get serious and I was carrying knocks from rugby, I had to choose one or the other.”
Transitioning from a team sport to an individual one, Ansell didn’t feel too out of his comfort zone.
“Playing at fly-half, I was in control and if something went wrong, it was down to me,” Ansell added.
“That’s what has translated into boxing the most. The decision making that I brought from rugby into boxing is what I thrive off the most. I’m relying on myself which was the same when I was a fly-half.”
It’s not just in the ring where Ansell gets to keep rugby close as he has a strong connection with the team he supports, Saracens.
“My old coach, James Tyrrell, is their academy coach now, so I always stay in touch. I do laps around the Allianz Park pitch too. When I see the players walk across it inspires me, I feel like I have to show off a little bit!”
The mental side of the both boxing and rugby are incredibly important to Ansell and he believes England can still go all the way in Japan.
“The team’s decisionmaking, intensity and execution really makes me think they’ll win the World Cup. Apart from the 2003 World Cup, this is our strongest squad ever.”