“The Knackery” is a newsletter to update former Brumbies with all things happening in the past player’s community. Giddy up!
Now that Super Rugby is over, the Knackery will spend the rest of the year catching up with the people who made the Brumbies what it is.
And there’s no better way to start then by catching up with one of the blokes who’s most responsible for the Brumbies success, Brumby #20… Brett Robinson.
What’s your favourite Brumbies memory?
Where do you start with this list but to name a few:
- Melrose Place and the BBQ’s when Billy James asked Owen if the “Potato Bake” was OK.
- Coffee aka ‘Cachino’ sets at Silo with Marco ‘Choc’ Caputo holding court.
- Heading up into the Brindabellas late Friday afternoons before a Saturday game in search of a “Big Brown’ with Johnny the Moonman Moondangford (aka Langers), Lock up your Daughters David Terry Griffin (aka Giff) and James the hambone hambleten (aka Hambone)
- The famous ‘ships aren’t built to sit in the harbour’ speech from Goog just before we got off the bus at Bruce Stadium.
- The winding mountainous Kiwi preseason bus trip that led to Tommy Murph spewing onto Ming’s face and open mouth while he was asleep on the floor of the bus.
- Singing our team Brumbies team song swinging our jerseys about our heads after many victories.
- Watching all the Brumbies that did and still today go on to become Wallabies, Wallaby Coaches, Managers, support staff, doctors and into significant leadership roles across Australian Rugby.
What are you doing for work, and how’d that come about?
I hold executive and non executive roles across a number of sectors including healthcare, education and rugby and continue to do some medical work operating once a month with my brother Mark (hand surgeon) - aka the “Floor Ferret” as a Brumbies Tourist of the infamous Eddie Jones Development tour of 1997
What’s been the toughest part about retiring from Rugby?
Not being able to enjoy all those things I listed above - but we still get to relive them whenever we get together.
What would you tell your younger self at the start of your career?
Always back yourself, make the most of any opportunity that life throws at you, understand who you are and surround yourself with good people who bring out the best of you.
Got a message for the past player community?
That all Brumbies make sure they invest time in reconnecting and staying close to the organisation and each other as we grow old - as Patty Howard said the Brumbies was our Camelot, or in other words, a place of idyllic happiness. As Brumbies we have so much to be thankful for- an organisation that gave us so much and times together that we should cherish forever.
Thanks Robbo!