Making a champion
Rising rugby star Hayden Sargeant is off to Paris
From his first jersey at Surfers Paradise, to the Australian green and gold, Hayden Sargeant has risen through the ranks of Australian rugby union right here on the Gold Coast.
The rugby sevens player will realise his ultimate goal when he runs onto the field in Paris this month. Sargeant, who played for Bond University Rugby Club for several years, was named in the Australian Olympic rugby sevens team on Wednesday, alongside Maddison and Teagan Levi who will play for the Australian women's team. Sargeant sat down with us to talk about the moments that led to his Olympic debut.
Previous medals
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Q: Where did the rugby dream start?
A: I started playing for Surfers Paradise Dolphins on Monaco Street in Surfers. My dad used to offer me $5 every time I scored a try so that was a pretty big incentive to keep me going back when I was just a 10-year-old. All my mates that I did surf lifesaving with were playing in the same rugby union team, spending our time competing on the beach together in summer, and then taking that to the field in winter. We had a pretty good culture all year round.
Q: Who will be most excited to watch you play at the Olympics?
A: It's not one person, but my whole family. My mum, dad and brother have watched almost every game that I've played. I have been the first to really dig deep into rugby, but sport has always been important to our family. My mum used to ride equestrian and my dad was a jockey. I think it got us into healthy habits at a young age and I think we also got that internal competitive drive from them too. Growing up, everything was always fun and competitive, it’s the way that we bonded.
Q: How did you take your weekend hobby and make it to the top of your game?
A: Having a good support team is probably the biggest thing. I'm a firm believer that you can achieve whatever you set your goals to in life. Self-belief is really important. As long as you give it 100 per cent, you'll make it almost every time. But having a good support crew always helps. I’ve had some great coaches along the way who have played a role but definitely my family and partner have helped. They’ve just made everything possible and been there in times of need, always pushing me to be bigger and better.
Q: What qualities does a team need to win a game?
A: I could list a thousand, but resilience is up there, particularly within sevens because it’s such a quick game and you don’t always have control of what’s happening. Patience is also a good quality to have, as well as determination. If the players have those three qualities, the team will go pretty far.
Having strong bonds within a team is important too. The stronger your bond is off the field, the stronger it is on the field. The more time you spend together, you can get to a point where sometimes you don't even need to talk on the field to know what your teammate's going to end up doing.
"... you can get to a point where sometimes you don't even need to talk on the field to know what your teammate's going to end up doing."
— Olympian Hayden Sargeant
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Q: How did you create those relationships when joining the rugby sevens?
A: I knew about half the boys when I joined the sevens and the other half were new faces. It was fun to reunite with those guys that I knew, and the others were really welcoming. But you can create or further those bonds through club social events as well as catching up with a few of the players outside of training — whether we hang out at the beach together or just have a kick of the footy outside of training, those moments seem to go a long way. The stronger those relationships grow, the more you can rely on each other, and hold each other accountable without offending someone. You know what you do and say is in the best interest of that teammate.
But it is tough when you're in a new side. You feel like you've got to prove your worth. Your teammates have to see what you can do to believe it, and actions speak louder than words. While there is pressure to perform, everyone will be welcoming if you’re open-minded and willing to learn.
Q: You were called up last year to make your debut with the sevens in Los Angeles. What was that moment like when you found out?
A: I had a one-on-one meeting with the coach and he let me know that I was going to be making my debut and that was a pretty cool moment. It was something I had been striving towards for so long that I didn’t really know what to say. My heart rate went up a bit and actually getting to make my debut for Australia felt surreal.