Kieran Sewell: Bumps And Turns!
The road to success is full of many bumps and turns... Understanding this statement is easy, accepting it is a completely different challenge.
Recently I noticed GRM has outgrown its initial purpose and now plays a huge role at higher levels of the Rugby community.
A number of professional rugby players, coaches and scouts follow this platform across the various social media channels which in a way makes me responsible for showcasing the talent of young boys and girls who are not only trying to prove a point, but trying to make their dreams of playing professional rugby become a reality.
Nobody has a bigger point to prove than Kieran Sewell. At a very young age the vibrant dummy-half experienced the rapid transition between the elation and disappointments of professional sport.
Kieran is keen to make it as a professional Rugby Player and is currently excelling at amateur club west Hull. You can watch highlights of Kieran and his team in action at the end of this article.
Here's what Kieran told us at GRM:
1. When did you start playing Rugby?
" I started playing rugby when I was 7 years old for Myton Warriors under 8’s. My dad (Gordon Sewell) always wanted me to play Rugby League from being very young, and bought my first rugby ball when I was just 5!
It was my dad who guided me into the sport and at the time he started coaching at Myton and become head coach at under 8’s, From my first touch of the ball I had developed a devotion and love towards the game. It was passion for the game which drove me to learn new skills and excel even further"
2. What is your earliest Rugby memory?
" My earliest rugby memory has to be my first game for Myton Warriors U8’s against Skirlaugh at Craven park.I loved the sheer intensity and speed of which the game was played at. We lost our first game but wasn't phased. At that age the game was all about enjoying yourself and developing as a played. my Dad always emphasised this when he was coaching."
3. At one stage your dream of becoming a Professional Rugby Player seemed to be a close reality. Talk us through your pathway to playing for your dream club.
" Before City of Hull Academy (COHA), I was scouted for Hull FC Acdemy and offered a place on the scholarship program. This was while I was playing for Hull Wyke at under 15’s. I was also offered a contract by Hull KR, but Hull appealed more to me and I decided to join the Hull FC Academy.
During my first year at Hull I struggled massively to get into the side and wasn't given many opportunities to show the coaches what I could do, due to my small stature and physicality. I didn’t want to give up trying, so I started investing my time massively into the gym side of rugby and strength and conditioning.
I would often train 5-6 times a week at the gym and have set meals to help me recover. This is something I still strongly commit myself to even though I am only playing amateur, it improves my performance. Over the course of the season I got a few games under my belt and some valuable experience which would help me for the next season.
The merge came and City of Hull was born, this was the perfect opportunity for me to have a fresh start and solidify my place in the team. Pre-season was tough and I got stuck into it, enjoying every aspect of it. I was motivated to train hard, eat well and keep progressing.
The first fixture came and I was eager to play. We faced a strong Wigan side away and it was always going to be tough! I stated on the bench, but when I eventually came on I scored a interception try! It was my debut and the feeling was unbelievable. The next game was Castleford away and I finally got a starting spot, scoring again I started to find my feet and began enjoying playing again.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience playing for City of Hull, I thrived in the intensity and the commitment that training and playing to that level took. However ultimately my strong personality and attitude let me down and I wasn’t offered a new contract.
This has only motivated me further to be a better player. Then I arrived at West Hull."
4. What have you achieved at West Hull?
" Since signing for West Hull I was very excited and eager to start playing and get back on the ladder. West Hull had always been in my heart and the fact I had played with some of West's players at school level and winning the National cup with Sirius Academy helped a alot.
In my first season at West Hull we successfully won the Yorkshire cup beating a strong Castleford Lock Lane, I scored the winner which lead to me breaking my nose!
We went on further to the National Cup Semi-Final against Wigan St Judes, we were only beat by a single try but I was luckily enough to be awarded man of the match in that game. All in all I was loving life at West Hull, the quality and level of training was second to none being coached by Matty Wilson and the raw talent that had been brought through the ranks of Wests was brilliant. The end of the season came and my first year at Wests had been very successful, I recieved the player of the season trophy I was very happy with myself.
5. You had a great game against Skirlaugh & after the game you said you’ve got a point to prove, tell us a little bit more about that.
" In rugby you face challenges which take resilience and strength to bounce back, this has made me into not only a stronger player but a stronger person, I am willing to overcome challenges in order to succeed. I would love to get involved in Academy rugby again because I love the sheer intensity of it and pushing myself further to become a better player.
6. Who was your rugby hero growing up?
"I had two rugby heroes growing up. One of them was my Dad, with him previously having a remarkable career playing for Ureka and Myton and representing Yorkshire and Humberside during his amateur career to then turning down a full time contract with Hull FC. Rugby was in my blood and I was determined to follow in his footsteps. Often away from training he would spend a lot of time with me on a rugby field practising the very basics but also having fun. This extra time would be vital to the coming years as a player because it would allow me to improve my ability and stand out on the pitch.
My other rugby hero is Danny Houghton, I grew up watching Danny on TV and at the KCOM Stadium when I first got my season pass at 8 years old. His discipline in defence was second to none and when a quick play the ball came in attack, his ability to leave markers on the floor is something I idolised and wanted to implement into my game too.
7.Describe your playing style in 3 words.
"Fast, intense and alusive! "