Toomua is busier than ever off the field
Usually studying a Super Rugby game plan at this time of year, Matt Toomua is instead helping plot a return to play in two months time.
The Wallabies and Melbourne Rebels playmaker is busier than ever despite the coronavirus-enforced competition shutdown.
Toomua is the players' representative on the national seven-man Return to Play Committee who have been tasked with getting a domestic-focused competition underway.
Aiming for early July, the committee is set to meet again on Monday to deliver a list of criteria to work through to confirm a start date.
He's also the Rebels' representative on RUPA, who negotiated pay-cuts with Rugby Australia for the Super Rugby cohort earlier this month.
The 30-year-old joked he had to do some squats while in online meetings to also accommodate the Rebels' daily training plan under the watchful eye of his superstar cricketer wife, Ellyse Perry, who recently underwent surgery on her injured hamstring.
Toomua said while his priority was to get the competition started again and look after player welfare, the experience was good preparation for life post-rugby.
"I love sport and the admin part of it as well," he told AAP.
"This is in a weird way provided a little bit of an opportunity for me to learn on the run, albeit in some extreme conditions."
While not as bullish as the NRL, who are targeting a May 28 re-start, Toomua said he hoped they could soon firm up a date for Australian Super Rugby teams but felt it was "irresponsible" to name one with so much still to figure out.
"We don't have something for players to aim towards, publicly anyway," he said.
"The international nature of Super Rugby complicates it and even if it is a domestic-focused competition the Sunwolves (from Tokyo) are part of our conference so that presents a challenge.
"We are definitely working towards a date and are reverse engineering it from there while keeping in mind government regulations and logistical implications and player welfare so there are a lot of things to take into consideration.
"I think it would be irresponsible for us to say that this is the date and figure it out from there."
Melbourne Rebels players are scattered throughout the country, given the green-light last month to train from the home states.
Toomua and Perry, who is on crutches, remain in Melbourne enjoying time together after usually being separated for long periods due to their sporting careers.
"We've been away for three years and are now in each other's pockets," he said.
AAP
Latest Comments
I didn't mean to sound down on Dmac. Just looking hard at the bench sub's role of providing impact. I don't think he can do that at 15, and the bench is not really about injury cover anymore (you need to maximise it's use more than that).
He's my first choice of any New Zealander for the 10 jersey with the All Blacks.
Go to commentsAgreed. And I don't have much more to say on it, but I had been having one thought that sprang to mind at the tail of this discussion, and that is that it's not all about Razor.
It's not about any coach being "right". I think a lot of selections can become defense and while it doesn't really apply here I really enjoyed that Andy Farrell just gave into the public demands and changed out his team for the change that had been asked for. Like why not? This is the countries team, keep them engaged. The whole reason i've only just finished watching the game was because I wasn't interested in watching any of the selected players against a team like Italy (still actually enjoyed the first half with the contest Italy made of it).
Faz leap frogs a younger half back into start. He hands the golden child the game over July's golden child. He gives an old winger a go, a new flanker and hooker. None of them really did any good, certainly not enough to suggest they should have been promoted above others, but who cares? You won, and you gave the country what they wanted, that's all that matters after all. It's for the country, not the one in charge who thinks they have to have their own pied piper tune playing.
Go to comments