Tough-as-nails Beadman melts at the sight of a Wallaby
It was supposed to be a fair exchange - silks for a jersey - but Darren Beadman looked as if he had landed the Melbourne Cup as he clung on to his precious Wallaby jersey handed to him by a group of Australian players after yesterday's training run at So Kon Po.
It was supposed to be a fair exchange - silks for a jersey - but Darren Beadman looked as if he had landed the Melbourne Cup as he clung on to his precious Wallaby jersey handed to him by a group of Australian players after yesterday's training run at So Kon Po.
Champion Australian jockey Beadman was chuffed at his first meeting with the Wallabies and to boot he went home with a rugby union jersey signed by the squad.
'This is special. As a kid, I used to play rugby and I have always followed the game. But this is the first time I have met the Wallabies and it is great,' said Beadman, who was accompanied by Marco Chui Kwan-lai, last season's champion apprentice jockey.
Wallaby flyhalf Matt Giteau said it was a good opportunity to get to meet other sportsmen. 'I feel big standing next to him, but really it is great to mingle with other Australian sportsmen and find out about their own sport,' he said.
He would have learned that Beadman is as tough as a rugby player. A fortnight ago Beadman was unceremoniously unseated in the parade ring at Sha Tin and had to be taken to hospital with a suspected tailbone fracture. But those fears were unfounded, and last Sunday he was back in the saddle and won the feature Mission Hills Sha Tin Trophy on Viva Pataca.
'I used to play rugby at age-group level for Australian Capital Territories back in the '70s. But I soon realised this was not for me and I gave it up and became a jockey,' Beadman said.
So while he chatted on the sidelines with Giteau and the others, Chui got into the spirit of things, persuaded by Wallaby back Drew Mitchell - who was the lucky recipient of the silks - to take a few kicks at goal. Chui failed to knock it over the crossbar.
