Somewhere in the skies above central Europe I find myself sitting on a plane bound for Paris, having no idea what the time is and struck with an enormous revelation: What started as a hobby, albeit one I took seriously, has been elevated to the next level.

While writing for Sportingo, I always tried to conduct myself in the manner of a professional, setting myself assignments and deadlines, fact-checking my articles and always looking for ways to improve.

With my own assignments and deadlines I had a degree of flexibility; deadlines could be shifted to accommodate seeing a movie with my wife, assignments could be abandoned if they became dull or depressing. But now that somebody else is setting these for me, I find myself filled with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. Confidence has never been a problem for me, but I am aware of one potentially fatal flaw: I am a world-class procrastinator.

'I am told that “les All Blacks” are well known and well liked in France, so have made an effort to associate myself with the team. In fact, as I write this I am wearing an All Blacks jersey'


We spent an interesting and enjoyable time in Singapore as part of the journey, sampling the local cuisine and culture, as well as being tourists for a while and taking in the sights. We have similar plans for France, but I am also acutely aware that I last studied French over 16 years ago so the language barrier may be a problem.

Today promises to be a long one and there is no option but to hit the ground running. Having spent the day in Singapore, we departed around midnight, arriving in Paris first thing in the morning. From there we will need to find our hotel and hopefully get some sleep before attending the England v South Africa game tonight. More than once I have visualised someone asking me not to snore in the post-match press conference.

I am told that “les All Blacks” are well known and well liked in France, so have made an effort to associate myself with the team. In fact, as I write this I am wearing an All Blacks jersey.

I am also aware of the need to temper my passion for the team as part of my work. One of the first things one is taught when learning how to be a journalist is that one should always be impartial. This, of course, is completely impossible as we all have certain pre-conceived notions, biases and prejudices. The task, then, for the journalist is not to strip away these things, but to be aware of them and hold them in check. Of course, knowing this and actually doing it are completely different things.

So a great many challenges lie ahead of me, and like all challenges they must be met head on if they are to be overcome. With the first of them only an hour away, I am reminded of a famous quote (which apparently isn’t famous enough for me to remember who said it): “Life’s challenges do not build character, they reveal it.”

I look forward to seeing mine.

Do you have any advice for Hamish as he goes into the unknown? Post your comments below.