Simon Clayton-Hibbott ('Hibby')

Rugby Career (1977-2001)

Start of Rugby Career

• Started playing rugby in 1977 for Tynedale Under 9's.
• Played against Northern in first cup final - winning 8-0 (as usual Tynedale's goal-kicking wasn't vey good!).
• Coach was Alan Bowman and fellow team mates included Andrew Dixon, Lewis Richardson, Nick Johnson and Andrew Graham.

 

First Senior Match

• First senior match was for Tynedale 2ndXV in 1986 - can't remember the opposition but do remember Barry Hope pulling his hamstring walking down the steps onto the pitch.
• Team mates on that occasion included Jimmy Batton (alias Chris Richardson), Kevin Marshall, Angus Herdman, Andrew Cuthbertson, Martin White, Johnny Mathews, Craig Johnston and Billy Robson.

 

Tynedale First XV Debut

• Made 1stXV debut against the Northumberland County XV in a warm-up match - Tynedale won.
• First time in 1stXV squad was away to Otley for Tynedale's first ever league fixture. (Don't know who was more pissed, Micky Lee or the bus driver - also a game Huw Mainwaring would like to forget about!)

 

Final Game

• Final game was against Stourbridge - a defeat as I remember. Spent most of the game tackling and more tackling.

 

Clubs I've Played For

• Tynedale
• Ohaeawai (New Zealand)
• Bath
• Scottish Exiles
• Scottish Exiles U21's
• Northumberland
• Northumberland U13, U16, Colts(1986-89), U21
• North of England Colts(1987-89) 

Most Memorable Matches

• Playing at Twickenham for Northumberland in the County Championship Final.
• Playing at Lansdowne Road for the Scottish Exiles.
• Playing at Okara Park for Ohaeawai.
• Tynedale against Hull Ionians (twice) in promotion season.
• County Cup Final against Newcastle Gosforth in 1993.
• Semi Final of County Cup against Newcastle Gosforth in 1992.

 

Favourite Grounds (other than Tynedale Park)

• Okara Park, Whangarei, New Zealand
• Northumberland's old County Ground

Least Favourite Ground

• Broughton Park's ground, "dogshit alley" - need I say more !!

Favourite Coaches

• Iain Harris - excellent, more than can be said about his drinking!!
• Alan York - he taught me to pass and kick the ball.

Favourite Captain

• Alan Gledson - he led from the front and by example.

Favourite Players I have played with

• The Ohaeawai team.
• James Ponton
• Angus Herdman
• Richard Cramb
• Iain Harris
• Freddie Woodman (ex All Black)
• Peter Walton
• Dick Parker
• Epi Taione
• John Fletcher
• Stevie Bowen - even though he is Welsh !!

Most Memorable Tries I've scored

• My second try against Sandal (2000-2001) - From the base of a ruck I broke right, kicked the ball one side of the winger & ran the other side of him & from the 10 metre line beat the full back to the touch down.
• Winning try against Berwick in 1996 County Cup Final - broke blind and scored from about 40 metres out. (These two tries are memorable because I was never reowned for my pace)
• Against Fletch and the England 'A' team - I just ran at the one I knew didn't like tackling very much !

Memorable Personal Performances

• Against England 'A' in the R.F.Oakes Memorial Match.
• For Ohaeawia against Otamatea in a Grand Final.
• Tynedale 2nd XV Cup Final at County Ground in 1988.
• 1992 semi-final against Newcastle Gosforth.
• 1993 Final against Newcastle Gosforth.
• One or two games in our promotion season!!

Worst Personal Performances

• Too many to mention !!
• Halifax 1989

Most Difficult Opposition Player

• Ian Williams, a No 7, he played for Wigton, Liverpool St Helens, Newcastle Gosforth and Cumbria.

Best Scrum Half I've played against

• Steve Douglas, a very good all round player.

Hardest Opposition Player

• Ian Williams, steve Douglas and a guy who played No 8 for kaitaia - I think he was called Don Stephenson and he was a very hard Maori.

Best Fly Halves I've partnered

• Tony Drayder
• Jamie Paton
• Richard Cramb

Most Memorable Moments

• Captaining Tynedale in the 1999-2000 season
• Being the first Tynedale captain to pick up the County Cup twice.
• My New Zealand tour in 1991
• The county tour of USA in 1997.

Favourite Referee

• Has to be Mr Andrew Tong - he did send me off but he's now my boss !!!

Least Favourite Referee

• I thought they were all excellent !!!!!!!!!!

Funniest Memories

• Being in selection with John Shotton - his descriptions of some situations and players abilities are just amazing !!!
• Bullet - he always made me laugh at training and always kept the bus amused on away trips.

Hardest Opponents

• Has to be Worcester - they were so professional, fit and big! It was good for us to score an excellent try against them.

Hardest Matches

• 1993 Cup Final against Newcastle Gosforth - a draw after extra time (we could have won had the goal kicker on the day kicked all his kicks -I wonder who that could have been....Simon !)
• A game against Macclesfield when I played two thirds of the game with a broken jaw.

Worst Match

• Probably against Halifax in 1989 among many others.

Worst Memories

• Not too many - just the number of penalties I gave away, but then again I did earn a few !!

Best Memories

• Making so many friends due to rugby.
• Getting the chance to travel thanks to rugby.
• Knowing people have enjoyed the way I played the game.

Any Regrets

• That I didn't meet up with Kirk Barclay (fitness coach) when I was a bit younger - then perhaps I could have played a little higher standard.
• Never being consistent enough to have been Tynedale's Player of the Year.

What Do I Miss Most About Not Playing

• The crack on training nights.
• The actual training !!!
• The buzz I got out of playing, scoring or putting a good solid tackle in.

What Do I Enjoy About Not Playing

• Waking up on a Sunday morning and NOT feeling as if I've been kicked from one end of the pitch to the other.

A Few People Who Have Influenced My Career

• Mum and Dad - got me started playing.
• John Shotton - helped me at Tynedale.
• Edward Robson - got me the chance to go to New Zealand.
• Don and Flick Jack - they looked after me in New Zealand.
• Keith Laidler - got me my England Colts trial.
• Kirk Barclay - kepy me fit towards the end of my career.
• AND MANY MANY more folk as well.