I was first introduced to Virginia, my wife, at a party in 2003. She was a photographer and a model. The following year I went on the first series of Strictly and then the Christmas special, and someone said to Virginia, \u201cThat geezer you met, I just saw him on telly.\u201d We met up again and we\u2019ve been together ever since. <\/p>\n
I felt I was destined to be a dad of boys, and that they would need a dad to be present in their lives. Tyler was born in 2006 \u2014 and was throwing a rugby ball when he could barely walk. There\u2019s a video of me tossing him a ball and he\u2019s in a nappy on the kitchen floor. It was in his genes. I took him to Rugby Rats, for under-fives, at our local club, Ealing Trailfinders. When he was eight he caught an interception, ran the length and scored. <\/p>\n
Now we\u2019ve got two kids who are both potentially going into professional sport. Tyler is 19, on a contract with Bath and in the England U20 squad. And Phoenix, who is 16, is a footballer, in the under-16s academy at Spurs. I give them advice but I\u2019m still \u201cDad\u201d, so to them I know the least. Tyler always says, \u201cDad, you scored one try 30 years ago, get over it,\u201d and I\u2019ll correct him and say \u201c501\u201d. I tell Tyler, \u201cMost of my success is in rugby league, so in union, all you\u2019ve got to do is get a cap for England and score a couple of tries to beat me!\u201d <\/p>\n
Fortunately, he doesn\u2019t have the trauma in his life that I had. But trauma does build resilience. I try to remind him how important it is to dictate your own narrative.<\/p>\n
Tyler<\/p>\n
My earliest rugby memory is being taken down to Ealing Trailfinders, under-fives. I used to hate getting mud under my fingernails but I loved running ball-in-hand. I was, like, you know what, I\u2019m going to try to be the best at this. It\u2019s less about what my dad has achieved, it\u2019s more about what I enjoy. <\/p>\n
At home it was me and my brother versus Dad play-fighting. I\u2019ve always been a WWE and UFC fan. We\u2019d try to jump Dad but it didn\u2019t go well because we were quite ticklish, so he\u2019d just tickle us. Mum wasn\u2019t playing \u2014 no chance \u2014 but she\u2019d be watching, enjoying it. She didn\u2019t like stuff being knocked over \u2014 she\u2019d say, \u201cDo it in the garden!\u201d <\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Martin, Tyler and his younger brother, Phoenix, getting ready on Martin\u2019s wedding day in 2017<\/p>\n
I got a sports and academic scholarship to St Benedict\u2019s school in Ealing and then went to board at Wellington College in Berkshire for sixth form. I\u2019m now doing politics and international relations at Bath University while at the Bath Rugby Academy. It\u2019s going all right. I got a 2:1 in my first year. I\u2019m happy with that.<\/p>\n