Monday 14th January 2013
Sean Fitzpatrick came to Eton to speak to the Sports Society in a packed lecture venue on Monday 14th January. His funny and insightful talk took us from his childhood through his playing days and to his current role as a Sky Sports pundit. We were delighted to welcome this rugby legend, who has earned 92 caps for New Zealand, won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, and captained arguably the best side ever to have played the game
The self-proclaimed “little fat kid” surprised us all when he explained that his rugby career began in his school’s D team and that he only started taking the sport seriously when he was at university. From then on, however, he was all about winning. The theme of his talk and title of his are both Winning Matters. Fitzpatrick takes a fresh look at how we think about sport, especially in a school where we are taught that enjoying the game and the spirit in which you play are more important than winning or losing. The underlying point of the talk was that you enjoy sport more when you win, so do all you can to ensure that you do. This included the timely quote, “Give everything you have, but don’t cheat.” He concluded the talk by reminding the audience about what it means to be a true All Black and the traditions and expectations that go along with such an honour.
Edward James (WFM)
