New Penryn RFC fitness coach Jon Goddard has spoken to the club's press officer Ben Gilby about his background and how he came to Cornwall and the club.

Jon was born and bred in Yorkshire, and he takes up the tale of his early days: “I come from a town called Castleford in West Yorkshire that loves Rugby League. I started playing amateur at the age of 9 and always dreamed of playing for Castleford Tigers. I managed to do that by the age of 18 when I had my first 1st Team match live on Sky TV. A year or so later I started playing for Oldham R.L., spent four years there before being signed by Hull Kingston Rovers. With Hull KR, we got promoted from the Championship so I was back playing in Super League again.

"After two years at Hull KR I signed for Championship side Halifax and spent the rest of my career playing for them. I had some great times with rugby, playing at big grounds like the Millennium Stadium in Wales when Super League's ‘Millennium Magic Weekend’ was held there.

"I've also managed to score two tries against Australian giants Melbourne Storm playing opposite a young Israel Folau. But all good things come to an end and at the age of 29 I decided to stop playing and my body has been thanking me for it ever since.”

However, Penryn is not Goddard’s first experience of Rugby Union, as he revealed: “I used to play union as a kid and captained my school team but decided to follow a career in League. I've been helping out a couple of Rugby League teams up north with coaching and I've been coaching kids in schools for decades but last year was the first time I coached a Union team when I helped out at Stithians.

"It's been great to learn a bit more about union and I hope my different perspective helped the Stithian's lads think outside the box a bit."

So, what was it that took Jon and his family from Yorkshire and down to Stithians?

“With our new found freedom of not having to play rugby in the summer and me buying and selling campers and caravans we decided to come down here on holiday with my little girl for the summer holidays in the caravan. We fell in love with the place instantly and from the moment my wife said ‘Wouldn't it be nice to live down here’. It was all we could think about, so to cut a long story shorty we sold our house and moved to Stithians.”

His next move was to get involved at Penryn – which was an incredible collection of coincidences – “My wife and I have our own business called Goddard Life Fitness that offers fitness, dance, rugby and gymnastics classes to kids and adults. We run the classes from the Stithians Centre.

One day the caretaker, Charlie, mentioned that he was good friends with a guy called Alan Mitchell who's on the look-out for coaching staff down at Penryn Rugby Club and did he mind if he put my name forward.

Alan then rang me, and after a couple of meetings and chats we decided that I would be best utilized by the club as their fitness trainer. I simply hope to be a good influence on every player at the club.

I'm a personal trainer so I've learned that no two players are the same and I know that if someone sees the benefits of being fit and healthy, and they think it's worth the effort, then with the correct guidance they can be as fit as they want. In this case the benefits are to become an even better player because whatever their mind wants to do on the field their body will be able to carry out.”

One thing that Goddard is very clear about is that he will not be pulling on a red and black shirt next season: “My playing days are 100% over and given the other great coaches at the club, my role of fitness coach fits perfectly for both me and them.

"Obviously if I see something that can be improved regarding game specifics then I'll share my opinion. However, I'm sure both the players and coaching staff at Penryn can teach me just as much as I can teach them. My early impressions from the sessions that I've done is that everyone involved with the club are going to be great to work with. The players worked hard and are open to new ways of training.

"The other coaches are very easy-going with no egos to get in the way of us all sharing our knowledge. And everyone else involved in the club seams really happy to be there and a pleasure to be around.”

Goddard’s opinions about how to establish the best chance of success is down to a tight relationship between the players. “In my opinion rugby is played at its best when all the players are like best mates and would run through a brick wall for the person next to them.

"When they know how to have a laugh whilst working hard. And finally when each player really buys into what their club is about and wants to be a part of the clubs bright future. When I was a player I loved playing for a club where every person was treat equally and each person from the head coach to the guy that cleaned the boots had an opinion that was valued. My personal idea of success is when each player loves putting the shirt on every week and enjoys their rugby.

"Us rugby players can be pretty hard on ourselves so unless we're winning or at least playing to our potential then it's very hard to enjoy it.”