Ollie Bache

Profile

Current employment  

Genwork Ltd

Why did you join Stourbridge

I have always been here and played through the minis.

Toughest opponent and why

Chuck Norris

Best sporting achievement

Midlands athletics/rugby.

Favourite sport, apart from rugby

Football.

Favourite food

Steak and chicken.

What’s on your i-pod ?

Kings of Leon.

Favourite film

The Goonies. Willow.

Favourite TV programme

Prison Break, 24, Dexter.

Most embarrassing moment

None!

Ambitions

Ollie's interview with Scribbler in April 2009

Educated: Bromsgrove School, Nottingham Trent University (Sport & Leisure Management)

Occupation: Genwork, Lye, Stourbridge

Previous Clubs: None!!

Ollie's a local lad with many connections to the club. Dad Bob - of Bache Pallets' fame and long term supporter of the club - and Uncle Peter (one of Denise Lewis select group of sponsors in her formative days, dubbed ‘The Magnificent Seven'), have both been regulars at Stourton Park for many years. So when Ollie took up rugby as a nine year old it was little surprise that Stour were the club he chose. However, he took a bit of pushing from outside the family.

"It was (former Stour, Moseley and England Colts) Oscar Higley who suggested I came to Stour. I was - and remain - best mates with his son Luke, who I'd met at Winterfold School, Chaddesley, and he'd joined the Mini section at Stourton." There was a further Stour/Worcester & Hereford connection, as one of his teachers at Winterfold was Kidderminster and Hereford fly half, the diminutive Nick Morgan who took time off from fathering his twelve children (couldn't make it up, could you?) to coach young Ollie. Several of Nick's children, including George and Harry have gone on to play for Stour's Minis.

"I played scrum half, fly half, centre, wing and full back, and I guess my big International hero was England and Wasps fly half Rob Andrew." From Winterfold, Ollie moved on to Bromsgrove School, and then to Nottingham Trent University where he studied Sport & Leisure Management. "We mainly played inter-university matches, and the highlight of my rugby time there was when we beat Nottingham University in our own Varsity game. Just the once, but hey...."

"Dad used to take me to the club from the mid-nineties, and I particularly remember the style of Stour's try scoring prop and captain Simon Baylie." A regular in Baylie's 1st XV having broken into the team as a teenager, and still going strong is of course another one club man in Jon Hall. Although Ollie pulls up short of calling Jon a ‘hero', it's ironic that he now finds himself playing alongside the man he first watched play at the age of ten. "My ambition going into this season was to break into Stour's First XV, as I hadn't played that much for the Development Team last year." In the Development Squad, as through much of his mini, junior and colts days, Ollie was working alongside Andy Verlander, currently 1st XV manager.

Ollie's ambition was achieved when he made his 1st XV debut in an away victory at Westcombe Park earlier this season. "I came off the bench to replace our centre Ben Barkley who'd broken his nose." I got the feeling that the broken nose was just the price that had to be paid for that debut.

Ollie's siblings are similarly talented when it comes to sport, but he did quickly demonstrate great ignorance when it came to any sport other than rugby. Hell, sister Jo has played Netball for England and he has no idea what position she plays!! When I explained that if she was tall she probably played Goal Attack, Goal Shooter, Goal Keeper or Goal Defence, Ollie replied "I that case, stick her down as a Centre". Explain that when you get home tonight. Sister Louisa has also played County Netball for Worcestershire.

Having been a member at Stourton Park for the best part of fifteen years it is surprising to realise that a 24-year old has seen such change at the club. "The stand has been built, I've seen the considerable extensions to the club house, and of course the demise of the baths to be replaced by showers only. Promotion to the current league was eventually achieved a few years ago." Reflects Ollie. That's looking backwards, but generally Ollie is looking the other way. "I've played 1st XV rugby this year and that was my aim. Technically we need five points to secure our Division Two future, and we've got three games to do that. I believe we can, then my ambition is to play more games for the 1st XV next season." We wish Ollie all the best in achieving both targets.

Further information