Quizzes, cookery and beard maintenance – Jake Woolmore is certainly doing his best to make the most of the lockdown period.
The Bristol Bears prop has been combining both work and play during his time away from rugby, maintaining his fitness while indulging some wider interests at his West Country home with his partner, Sophie.
Woolmore’s Bears were flying high in Gallagher Premiership Rugby prior to the competition’s postponement, picking up five wins from five to see them sit third in the table.
And while being away from the field is a source of frustration for Woolmore, he is doing everything he can to keep himself occupied at home.
“We’ve got enough going on to keep us entertained – I put together a quiz on Zoom for family and friends the other night and I was the quizmaster!” he said.
“It was a fine line of not trying to make it too hard and making it as interactive as possible, but I think it went down alright.
“We’ve also deep-cleaned a lot of the house – I can’t say I’ve done too much as I just get in the way, but I try and help!
“I’m usually on lunch and dinner duty – I do as much cleaning as I can until Sophie gets aggravated with me, and then I go and step into the kitchen.
“I’ve done a mixture of things – a combination of some staples like Bolognese, while I’m currently doing a fried gnocchi with a tomato and roasted garlic sauce, which I’m having an attempt at making myself.
“I’m just doing some bits and pieces – I’ve been trying to do some gardening, while I’ve been abusing my Netflix account and I’m also trying to grow my beard out.
“A lot of people are shaving their heads, but I’ve gone with the grow option with both my hair and beard – which I got a few comments from some of the boys for in our online meeting this morning!”
It isn’t all fun and games for the ebullient Woolmore, who has also been working hard at sustaining his fitness levels through a range of activities both inside and out.
And while he isn’t one for social media updates – unlike some of his teammates – he says variety is the spice of life when it comes to preventing tedium kicking in.
“It’s just about trying to be as creative as possible,” he added.
“I’ve managed to blag a little bit of fitness equipment from some sources – my old school, Yeovil College, allowed me to borrow a Wattbike – much to my girlfriend’s despair as that’s in the lounge next to the TV!
“It’s about trying to be as functional as I can with limited resources - I’m also throwing some rugby balls in my garden to stay on top of some skills.
“It is a bit of a battle at times trying to stay sane and motivated, but as a team we’ve got some WhatsApp groups so we keep on top of each other and make sure we know what’s going on.
“I’m not necessarily one to put lots of things on social media, but I think a few of the lads are if anyone needs motivation - the likes of Max Lahiff training shirtless and things to try and keep you on your toes!”
Jokes aside, Woolmore can’t wait to get back to his teammates, who have forged an intimate bond in a season where they have taken many Premiership Rugby onlookers by surprise.
And although the period of uncertainty goes on, he believes they will be ready to hit the ground running whenever the competition makes its eagerly-anticipated return.
“It is a big change being away from the camaraderie of the boys and I miss that part of it, but we’re trying our best to keep as much of it going as possible,” he said.
“I am looking forward to getting back into it, and we felt we had a really good bit of momentum going and there was a really good buzz around the club.
“Everyone has a good relationship at the club and I think it’s the team spirit and the unity that makes us successful - building a good culture is a big part of our success.
“The main thing at the minute is just health and keeping people safe, and all we can do is be ready - physically and mentally - to hit the ground running when we come back, offer a bit of entertainment and be successful.”
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