‘I’m not ready to slow down’
His day job was as a police officer but his rugby skills turned him into a sporting star – JULES BOYLE chats to exengland rugby player Martin Bayfield as he prepares to go on an ‘in conversation’ tour with other giants of the game
TELL US ABOUT THE SHOW?
“I’ve always enjoyed spinning a yarn and as everyone knows, rugby players all love telling stories. What really made me go for it, as it’s quite a terrifying idea, really, was when a few of us were contacted during the first lockdown by people asking us to record a message for their parents or grandparents who were struggling. That stuck with me, so I thought about getting myself and some others from the world of rugby up on a stage, release the handbrake and let everyone talk.”
PICKING THE GUESTS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS CAN’T BE EASY, AS YOU DON’T JUST NEED LEGENDS, YOU NEED LEGENDS WHO CAN ENTERTAIN A CROWD, TOO. WHAT WAS YOUR CRITERIA FOR SELECTION?
“They’ve got stories to tell. It’s as simple as that. They’re World Cup winners, they’re players who have overcome adversity, they’re players who make me laugh and will make other people laugh. They’ll inspire you, they’ll motivate you and they’re insightful.”
HOW IS THE SHOW GOING TO WORK ON THE NIGHT, THEN?
“We’re fine-tuning how it’s going to work, but basically I’ll do my bit to start, which will be 20 to 30 minutes, then we’ll get the guests on stage and let them go. I’ll be interviewing them, they’ll be chatting among themselves and they’ll be very involved with the crowd. We’ll get people who are coming to send questions in advance over social media, then on the night they can ask them in person.”
YOUR TIME IN RUGBY COINCIDED WITH THE ERA WHEN THE SPORT SUDDENLY WENT PROFESSIONAL AND PLAYERS BECAME ACTUAL HOUSEHOLD NAMES. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
“Nobody knew quite what was happening when rugby went professional. We just trained a lot more. Some of it worked and some didn’t, so it took a while to find its feet as a professional sport, though you could argue it still hasn’t quite got there even now, as a result of some decisions made at the time. There definitely were superstars in that England team when I was involved with it, for sure. I certainly wasn’t one of them, but you look at Will Carling, Jeremy Guscott, Rob Andrew, Brian Moore and people like that, they were real stars that everyone wanted to talk about, particularly Will and Jerry. Now there are far more stars as broadcasting and social media give us 24/7 rugby, so you have far greater access to your team.”
BEFORE TURNING PROFESSIONAL, YOU BALANCED RUGBY WITH BEING A SERVING POLICE OFFICER. THAT CAN’T HAVE BEEN EASY?
“I loved it, even though it was chaotic at times – it was the norm. I would finish work and go straight to a game, or the other way about. You’d feel battered and bruised, thinking ‘I really can’t face night duty here’, but you’d just get on with it. I was a police officer, so I took that role incredibly seriously and wouldn’t ever let anyone down. It was crazy, though. Like we won a Grand Slam in 1992 on the Saturday, hungover on the Sunday and back walking the beat on the Monday, with people beeping their horns at you and shouting ‘well played!’”
IF YOU HAD TO PICK ONE THING AS THE HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT IS A STORIED CAREER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
“When we went away with the Lions in ’93 always stands out. I loved that tour. I know we didn’t win it, but we nearly did as we lost the series 2-1. I absolutely loved that, though. Just to be part of that history, to be able to say you were a British & Irish Lion, is pretty special. I remember that tour with huge affection.”
YOU SEEMED LIKE A NATURAL ON MASTERCHEF. IS IT THE COMPETITIVE SPIRIT THAT DROVE YOU ON THERE, OR IS THERE MORE TO IT THAN THAT?
“I loved doing that, but it’s not so much that we are being competitive, it’s more that you make sure what you do, you do right. I think that’s where sportsmen and women do well on Masterchef as they learn, listen and take on advice, as well as being very good at sorting themselves out, prepping themselves and getting themselves where they need to be. I loved the learning process, being in some seriously good kitchens and being taught by top-class chefs. Why would you turn down that experience or not take it seriously if you do? I wanted to listen to them and learn from them. Look at Phil Vickery, who’s one of the guests we have on the tour. He’s got his own restaurant now and is doing phenomenally well. He actually won Masterchef back in 2011. How good a story is that?”
YOU ARE RELEASING YOUR FIRST BOOK, ‘A VERY TALL STORY’, THIS MONTH. WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO FINALLY TELL YOUR STORY LIKE THAT?
“It’s kind of the same reason for doing it as I had for the tour, to be honest. Basically, I was sitting in lockdown and realised I had a story to tell. The aim of the book initially was going to be a kind of love letter to rugby, just exploring why I love the game so much. Then I started to realise it was becoming more thoughtful about certain aspects, like how I felt when I got dropped from the England team, when my career came to an end, what has inspired me and what things have I done well or where I could have done better. It became something much more than I initially planned, but always at its heart, it’s still about a journey through this ridiculous sport where you have the very best characters and the most amazing matches, but at the same time the slight sense of the shambolic that is always present. I hope that what comes through is that there’s a lot of laughter, but there’s a serious and quite emotional side to it, too.”
BETWEEN RUGBY, FILM, TV, PUBLIC SPEAKING, WRITING AND MORE, YOU’VE ACHIEVED A LOT IN YOUR LIFE. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU STILL WANT TO DO?
“I’m not ready to slow down yet. The time will come when I want to do that, but I love what I do. The crucial thing is I love being part of a team, as everything I’ve succeeded in over the course of my life has been part of a team, even in Masterchef, as you’re still working together with great people, even if you are competing as an individual. I’m happy with what I’ve done in my life, but if there’s anything else, I’d love to do more work in the film industry.”
IF ANYONE IS ON THE FENCE ABOUT COMING TO THE LIVE SHOWS, WHY SHOULD THEY TAKE THE PLUNGE?
They’re World Cup winners... they’ll inspire you
“You will feel the sense of belonging, love and family that rugby can engender. You’ll feel the excitement, you’ll hear stories that you won’t have heard before, you’ll get the inside track on what really went on, and you’ll see and hear some of the greatest players who have ever played the game. They’ll want you as involved in the conversation as you want them to be. The love for the game and the love of sport in general will just shine through, so whether you are a hardcore rugby fan or you have been just dragged along, you will enjoy it. I guarantee it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Martin Bayfield on his choice of guests for his tour
Martin Bayfield will be at:
■ Cheltenham Town Hall on Saturday, November 5 (guests to be announced)
■ Tickets for all shows are on sale now via myticket.co.uk from £30, with VIP tickets, including meet and greets and more, at £95.