Billy Twelvetress, Part of Team Rampant
Billy Twelvetrees is this season’s face of Lions Rampant so we got him down to the den for a chat about modelling and his thoughts on pre-season and the year ahead with Leicester Tigers
Harry: Billy you have just finished the photo shoot for this seasons clothes, how was it?
Billy: I was a little apprehensive at first due to it being my first time modelling but it was fine. Instead it was just a good laugh just larking around with the team really and really relaxed. I would definitely consider doing it again.
Harry: So Billy you are currently in pre-season but prior to this what did you get up to on your break?
Billy: I spent most of my time in Devon, chilling and lying on the beach.
Harry: Do you have to train when you are on your break?
Billy: Personally I don’t (laughs) no we get given top up programmes to make sure we don’t waste away, which means it’s not so difficult when returning at pre-season.
Harry: I imagine when you are training 5 days a week for the majority of the year it’s nice to get that break.
Billy: Yeah, that’s the thing when you have only got 4 weeks off you want to make the most of it, especially when you’re lying on a beach or by the pool the last thing you want is to be hitting up a big session in the gym.
Harry: So how is pre-season going?
Billy: Yeah well, stepped up in the last week, more skill games and CV with a lot of the EPS boys filtering back now. Everything is back on track. Lots of weight training, recovery time and protein shakes.
Harry: So is there a good vibe throughout the squad after the winning finish to the season?
Billy: Well being with Leicester there is always the expectation that we get into the top four so making it to the final is a kind of relief and then obviously when we won it we were quite ecstatic!
Harry: Obviously it’s not all serious down at the club so who would you say is the joker in the squad.
Billy: Well there isn’t a particular stand out joker as there is a few but I would say George Chuter, Youngsie and Stankovich all love a joke and a wind-up the most out of everyone.
Harry: Who is the scariest to train against?
Billy: Well not necessarily the scariest but the guys you wouldn’t want to wind up and steer clear of in a contact session is Julian White and Louis Deacon because if you catch them on the ear or something you might just get a jab round the face or in a ruck later on. But then again there is some of the lads you don’t mind winding up.
Harry: So what are your aims for this season?
Billy: I would just love to be involved in the starting XV as often as possible. Just like any other player. I mean it’s not my decision but part of it is down to me when it comes to training and performing and not making mistakes which hopefully the coaches will recognise and reward me for.
Harry: And as a team what are the aims as although you won the premiership the Heineken Cup was somewhat of a disappointment:
Billy: Yeah, like I said with a club like Leicester there is always an expectation to be right up there challenging for all the trophies. And in some respects it was a huge downer but it did allow us to purely focus on the premiership which showed when we won it. But everyone wants to play in Europe as it’s the highest level domestically. We have a good pool, well no one wants to say that but we feel we can capitalise certainly. And not making it as far as normal really disappointed Cockers and the team.
Harry: I don’t know about you but it seemed the Heineken Cup was really open last season,
Billy: Exactly, the pools were so open anyone could qualify. And that is what is good about it. The turn-around and the standard of the games make the games pretty demanding. And if you’re not on your game as a team which we weren’t in some of the games you’re not going to qualify.
Harry: Do you have any international aims with the World Cup so close?
Billy: To be honest I have no international aims, I just want to establish myself as a Leicester player. Whatever happens after that comes along. And as with a lot of the guys in the squad if you play well you are rewarded at international level.
What would you say is the best thing about being a pro-rugby player?
Billy: The best things about being a pro rugby player are doing something you enjoy and getting paid for something you have wanted to do as a kid and wanting to go to work. The downsides are the injuries and also the diets and nutrition, being fat tested every week is always a bit daunting but it isn’t too bad for me but some of the boys look at doughnut and put on weight.
Harry: Obviously Moody and Vesty have gone to Bath this year but what do you think it will be like playing against them?
Billy: I mean for those boys coming back I think it will be very weird just because he is Leicester through and through and so is his family. It will be cool playing against him as he has a good rugby brain and knows what we do well. And as far as Moodos is concerned Moodos is Moodos not sure he will even notice he is at Welford Road he will be too busy running around smashing people like he does for England and how he was for Leicester.
Harry: Cheers for dropping into the den matey.
For more information on Lions Rampant, why not listen to BBC Radio’s Leicester feature they published last week after a visit to the new head office.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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