Video boosts Philippine selection for Coventry rugby star.
By Steve Carpenter, Coventry Observer.
March 27 2013
SOCIAL media videos have helped launch the careers of Korean pop stars and celebrities like Justin Beiber, and now Youtube has helped rugby star Jeff Gregson bag the opportunity of a life-time.
The 24-year-old is currently on the books at Coventry Rugby Club but has spent the majority of this season out on loan at Nuneaton and more recently Broadstreet.
In a bid to raise his aspirations, the former Woodlands pupil created and uploaded a video of his skills onto the video-sharing website Youtube.
And after getting in touch with the manager, he got a surprise call-up to the Philippine national side's 33-man training squad ahead of the upcoming Asian 5 Nations Premier Division Tournament.
"I got an email confirming my selection a couple weeks ago and I was really happy," said Gregson.
"It's such a good opportunity for me playing wise as its on an international basis, and it'll be an amazing experience playing in the A5 nations against teams like Japan who are well established having played in the world cup.
"I initial emailed enquiring how I could get involved with the team, and after a few emails back and forth they asked for some footage of me playing which is on Youtube, and from that I think that's how I got selected.
"I don't know much about the side to be honest, but I've been in contact with a couple of the boys that live in England and Australia so I'm looking forward to meeting up with them."
The Asian 5 Nations is an annual international competition held between the top five Asian national rugby sides.
If selected for the Volcanoes, as the Philippine team are known, Gregson could face Japan, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates and South Korea in a round-robin competition over five consecutive weekends throughout April and May 2013.
"It's going to be massive playing against the other teams, a lot of them will be full time in their countries or teams where they play so they will be on the top of their game.
"It's a squad of 33 and from that they pick a 23 man squad for each game, but I don't think by any means that I'll have a definite place.
"I'll be the new boy there so I will definitely have a point to prove during the initial training week. “I'm putting in the hard work now so by the time I'm over there I'll be at my peak and put some good performances in.
"This could be massive for me, if I put in a good performance who knows what could happen from it."
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Very disappointing......
We're a motley crew (actually Dastardly and Motley) and there are a few real suckers including:- Old Statler (very old), Cov (The Public Voice) Mick, Dave (The Prince Among Men) Roach,Tom (The Scribe) Senior, etc. We've won every game we've played (in our minds at least) and we are coasting to the title.
Ooooh, I've just woken up.
Quote:Nige H
joking aside.. i think we have all missed the point here! surely the reason this 'showreal' was created and put online wasnt to get selected for the phillipines, but to increase hus chances of getting a contract with a new and different club. i know gregson hasnt performed for us in recent history, however he was the in the top 2 try scorers just 2 seasons ago. so surely it would be sad to let him go without giving him another chance as we know he does have the ability at this level.
It wasn't missed by me, I was just being ironic in the sense that someone could be invited by a country on the evidence of a video.
Is it allowed if he has no blood relatives for that country ?
