Profile: Mike Rowe
Modern rugby is a lot more than mud baths, cauliflower ears and sweaty socks
Mike Rowe is the curator of the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU)World Rugby Museum, which was recently revamped in preparation for the World Cup next year.
The museum is located under the East Stand of Twickenham Stadium in Middlesex, which is the home of England rugby. He was formerly head curator at the River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames.
What are the highlights of the collection?
We have the original laws of the game from 1871 along with a jersey from the first international match in the same year. The Calcutta Cup, played for by England and Scotland, is the most beautiful object and there’s a ball from the 2003 World Cup Final.
Comparing the old jersey with new shirts shows how physiques have changed over time because of diet and nutritional improvements, the advent of professionalism in 1995 and training techniques.
Today’s under-18 England side are much bigger, faster and stronger than Will Carling’s Grand Slam side of the 1990s.
Do wives and girlfriends roll their eyes as their rugby nuts take it all in?
It’s a challenge to make sure there’s something of interest for everyone. Only around 60% of visitors have a real interest in the sport itself so we have displays that latch on to personal stories, the part rugby plays in everyday lives rather than purely the technicalities of the scrum.
Many visitors come from overseas so we try not to be seen as arrogant or presumptive about where the game started and how it spread around the world. A little tactical coyness is useful.
You support Fulham Football Club. Does the RFU hold this against you?
No, the RFU is very open-minded! I think it’s an advantage for a governing body to have experts where they are needed and people with more general knowledge in other positions.
Some sports pursuing a naked commercial route should take note of rugby’s community ethos and spirit and how its supporters feel really attached to their clubs.
You moved jobs from Henley to Twickenham. Are you on a personal voyage of sports perceived to be posh?
Neither reflect my first-choice sporting interest. But if you went to bits of the Pacific Islands or South Wales, a lot of people would disagree about the posh bit.
With sport, as with any subject, it’s all about drawing people’s attention to the more unusual aspects and stories.
The museum is located under the East Stand of Twickenham Stadium in Middlesex, which is the home of England rugby. He was formerly head curator at the River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames.
What are the highlights of the collection?
We have the original laws of the game from 1871 along with a jersey from the first international match in the same year. The Calcutta Cup, played for by England and Scotland, is the most beautiful object and there’s a ball from the 2003 World Cup Final.
Comparing the old jersey with new shirts shows how physiques have changed over time because of diet and nutritional improvements, the advent of professionalism in 1995 and training techniques.
Today’s under-18 England side are much bigger, faster and stronger than Will Carling’s Grand Slam side of the 1990s.
Do wives and girlfriends roll their eyes as their rugby nuts take it all in?
It’s a challenge to make sure there’s something of interest for everyone. Only around 60% of visitors have a real interest in the sport itself so we have displays that latch on to personal stories, the part rugby plays in everyday lives rather than purely the technicalities of the scrum.
Many visitors come from overseas so we try not to be seen as arrogant or presumptive about where the game started and how it spread around the world. A little tactical coyness is useful.
You support Fulham Football Club. Does the RFU hold this against you?
No, the RFU is very open-minded! I think it’s an advantage for a governing body to have experts where they are needed and people with more general knowledge in other positions.
Some sports pursuing a naked commercial route should take note of rugby’s community ethos and spirit and how its supporters feel really attached to their clubs.
You moved jobs from Henley to Twickenham. Are you on a personal voyage of sports perceived to be posh?
Neither reflect my first-choice sporting interest. But if you went to bits of the Pacific Islands or South Wales, a lot of people would disagree about the posh bit.
With sport, as with any subject, it’s all about drawing people’s attention to the more unusual aspects and stories.