Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Money money money

Money cannot buy a strong work ethic, team spirit or positive mindset. Leicester City and Exeter Chiefs would be rich beyond their wildest dreams if they could bottle up and sell the magic formula that has helped both clubs succeed this season. They have proven that success is not always related to the size of one’s chequebook.

I am sure the celebrations will continue on until the start of next season for Premier League winners Leicester City. As a Brit I am always a fan of the underdog story; odds of 5000-1 to win the title certainly labelled the East Midlands club as just that. Having only narrowly survived relegation last season the bookies and even the fans could not have envisaged such an incredible outcome. Statistics such as Leicester spending less than one seventh of the cost per league point compared to the extravagant bottom placed Chelsea are near impossible to comprehend. This is such a refreshing example, proving that the odds can be defied and hard work can result in near miracles.

Having wonderful facilities and coaches on high salaries is not the be all and end all as I discovered during my own sporting career. On paper the national training centre for Modern Pentathlon had the perfect recipe for success. I learnt the hard way that having a supportive team around you and a strong work ethic can play a far more significant part in an athletes career.

The ethos at rugby club Exeter Chiefs has all of the aforementioned characteristics. As a smaller club from the Westcountry they are proving my point, bringing players up through the system to cement that cohesive team spirit they are known for. Lets hope their winning streak continues and that they can monopolise the home advantage in their upcoming Premiership semi final