adminLONDON. — Australia No 8 David Pocock will hope he can attach himself as firmly to the New Zealand back row in tomorrow’s World Cup final as he did to a digger last November.
The 27-year-old Zimbabwe-born back-row forward has so many causes he feels worth fighting for it is extraordinary he has the time to be so focused on the pitch.
Gay rights, climate change, wildlife preservation – he resembles a panda with the two black eyes acquired in last weekend’s semifinal win over Argentina – all come within his radar.
His attitude to the sport that pays his wages – and boosts the causes he espouses by virtue of his high profile – is not par for the course either.
“I’ve absolutely loved the game and I’m so grateful for the opportunity that it’s given me, but I’m very conscious of the fact that at the end of the day it’s a game,” he told reporters. It’s there to be enjoyed, it can offer so much to us, but there’s certainly a lot more to life than just chasing a rugby ball,” added Pocock, who says watching the 1995 World Cup final on his grandfather’s farm in Zimbabwe when South Africa beat New Zealand inspired him to take up the sport even though he spent halftime skateboarding.
Pocock, who was arrested with a farmer for attaching themselves to a digger in a protest against a coalmine being opened in the middle of a state forest, has aroused coach Michael Cheika’s curiosity.
“I’ve got to know him a bit better now and he is a really interesting character away from the game,” Cheika said. Away from being attached to diggers he is best known for his stance on gay rights. He said he will not marry his girlfriend until gay marriage is legalised in Australia.
This year he forced an unprecedented halt to a Super Rugby match between his Brumbies side and the NSW Waratahs because of homophobic remarks made in the match by South African flanker Jacques Potgieter. He was supported by team captain Stephen Moore in asking referee Craig Joubert to stop the game. — SuperSport.
Online Reporter