Uncategorized – Page 2 – Deano's World

Samurai: Seventeen Years A Samurai

31/01/202402/12/2024Mark "Deano" Dean

As the 2024 Melrose 7s approaches, I find myself reflecting on an incredible journey that began with a simple phone call in 2007. After seventeen years serving on the organizing committee of one of rugby’s most prestigious clubs, including my role as Operations Director, it’s time to pass on the jersey as Samurai transforms into Shogun Rugby.

The symmetry of seventeen years isn’t lost on me. It was always my chosen shirt number during my playing days – certainly not the most distinguished career, but one that led me to where I am today. Though I’m stepping back from operations, I’ll continue supporting the club as Vice President and fundraiser, roles that feel more crucial than ever during this transition.

Terry Sands’ call in 2007 opened the door to an extraordinary privilege: working alongside the world’s finest sevens coaches and players. The club’s achievements during this period have been nothing short of remarkable, with tournament victories spanning six continents. From the electric atmosphere of the Dubai 7s to the historic grounds of Melrose, from the beaches of Punta Del Este to the heights of Hong Kong, we’ve left our mark on every corner of the rugby world.

The #SamuraiFamily at the London 7s in 2017

The list of teams and players we’ve faced reads like a who’s who of international sevens rugby: South Africa, Kenya, Argentina, England, and countless others who’ve helped shape the sport’s landscape. But it’s not just about the matches or the trophies – it’s about the people who made it all possible.

The players from all over the World whose careers have benefitted from being part of the #SamuraiFamily are too inumerable to mention. Better to say that Samurai players,both men and women, have represented over forty nations: winning awards and medals on the World Series, the Commonwealth Games, The Olympics and at Rugby World Cups.

I’m indebted to the club stalwarts who welcomed me into the Samurai family. Terry and Rose Sands, Mike Friday, Fahad Adil, Nick Wakley, and so many others who’ve contributed to this remarkable story. Each person brought their own unique energy and dedication to the club, creating something truly special. I am particuarly indebted to the late, great, Colin Hillman who convinced me I had something to contribute after my first tour to Amsterdam didn’t go as well as I had hoped.

This reflection wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the two people who introduced me to Samurai RFC. A friend of mine Joe O’Keefe, a team mate at Old Mid-Whitgiftian RFC and former Millfield 7s captain, put me in touch with his good friend Tommy Dann a talented player from Cambridge and Northampton Saints who gave Terry Sands my phone number which started the whole adventure. Without Joe and Tommy making those introductions I would never have got involved with Samurai and I am eternally grateful for the opportunities they opened up for me. Tragically Tommy died by suicide on the 18th February 2021 and it pains me that I never got to tell him how much his kind introduction has changed my life for the better and how grateful I was to him for that.

As I prepare to step away from my operational role, I’m filled with gratitude for the experiences, friendships, and memories that have shaped who I’ve become. Seventeen years, countless tournaments, and innumerable friendships later, I know this isn’t goodbye – it’s simply the beginning of a new chapter in my ongoing relationship with this extraordinary club.

“When the playing is done, the boots hung up and the tours over the most important thing is the friends you made along the way.”

The jersey may be changing hands, but the spirit of what we’ve built together will continue to thrive. Here’s to the next generation of leaders who will write their own chapters in this remarkable story.

GB7’s 2013 round 3, Allianz Park – London – 15/06/13 – MANDATORY CREDIT: Helen Watson

The Dash

11/01/202402/08/2023Mark "Deano" Dean

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on his tombstone

From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of his birth

And spoke of the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

That he spent alive on earth

And now only those who loved him

Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own, The cars, the house, the cash,

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;

Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what’s true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

And more often wear a smile,

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read

With your life’s actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

The Dash
By Linda Ellis

Kilimanjaro: Lessons Not Learned

25/07/2023Mark "Deano" Dean

You’d have thought I’d have learned by now. “What the fuck were you thinking?” I ask myself as the reality of what I’ve agreed to sets in. Not only have I agreed to climb a stupidly big hill again, all in the name of a good cause naturally, but because the original group leader has had to step away I’ve ended up agreeing to pull the trip together as well. At least I’m not playing rugby up there this time.

Since Everest in 2019 I’ve done the square root of fuck all to keep myself in shape. The pressures of Covid, work, Samurai, Wooden Spoon and my complete lack of ability to say no to anyone has meant that, without, exception I am in the worst physical shape of my life. The only thing worse than my physical health is my mental health, and, like all mal-adjusted men I have “solved” that problem by drinking my ever increasing body weight in exceptional red wine, crisp gin and cheap rum.

“Why can’t I just, for once, attempt one of these challenges from a solid level of fitness?” I ask, “Why can’t I just, for once, make this shit easy for myself?”. Nick Wakley, a good friend of mine, once told me that I had the mind set and resilience of an International rugby sevens player and the body mass of two of them. I’m not sure about the first bit but the second bit is currently spot on.

“Deano you’ve got the mind set and resilience of an International rugby sevens player and the body mass of two of them.”
Nick Wakley

I’m 45, 4 years older than when I last went to any real altitude. I’ve had Covid at least twice and one of those times was pretty nasty on lungs. Mentally and physically I’m exhausted and quite frankly you could flip a coin on whether my mind or body fails first. To be able to summit I’ll need to be fitter than I was in 2019 not least because of the increased distance but also because any semblance of youth has since deserted me. I’m firmly middle aged and where stubbornness used to get me out of trouble its not going to be enough this time.

So enough of the hand wringing and whining: time to sort my shit out and embrace the challenge and the huge positives of undertaking it.

So why am I going to climb Kilimanjaro? Top of the list is the fact I am, finally, getting to go on an expedition with my wife. Previously all the challenges I’ve undertaken have been during term time and as my wife is a teacher that prevents her from joining in. This time however the climb is during the school summer break which means she can join me in Tanzania.

Then you’ve got the obvious stuff: the incredible view, the fact it is in East Africa which is one of my favourite places, it’s one of the seven summits, the dramatic change of scenery from savannah to rainforest to tundra, its almost legendary status in global culture and then the fact that I’ve wanted to climb there since I was about ten.

Lastly its all going to be to raise money for a good cause. As Kili’ sits on the border between Tanzania and Kenya and towers over the national park of Amboselli it makes sense for me to raise money for the incredible Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT).

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust operates several wildlife conservation projects, with a primary emphasis on elephant conservation. They have established the world’s most successful elephant orphanage, based in Nairobi, Kenya. The orphanage rescues and cares for orphaned baby elephants, often victims of poaching, human-wildlife conflict, or natural disasters. The elephants are raised with specialized care, including round-the-clock attention, nourishment, and veterinary support until they can be re-integrated into wild elephant populations.

Orphan elephants at the Nairobi orphanage

In addition to their elephant-focused efforts, SWT also works to conserve other endangered species, such as rhinos and giraffes, and runs various community outreach and anti-poaching initiatives. Their work not only aids the individual animals in their care but also contributes to broader conservation and ecological efforts in Kenya and beyond.

If you’ve enjoyed my ramblings and if you are in a position to do so please consider donating to the SWT by clicking here

Kilimanjaro: Dinner With Powell & Mears

25/07/202325/07/2023Mark "Deano" Dean

As I’ve said previously, Buffy and I are climbing Kilimanjaro to raise money for The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the first step towards hitting our initial £5000 target was to run a charity dinner at the always fabulous Gurkha Kitchen in Oxted.

To entice the locals out on a Monday night who better than Bath, England and Lions legend Lee Mears and Wales, Lions and Golfing legend Andy Powell. The two rugby men took questions from the room about everything from the upcoming Rugby World Cup, favourite tour memories, the state of the game and their favourite service stations on the M4. The auction and raffle raised an incredible £2000 for the charity and got us a good start on the way to our target.

I’d like to offer a huge thank you to all those who attended, to Lee Mears and Andy Powell who entertained the room, to my brother Andrew for providing some very generous prizes and to Purna Gurung and the amazing team at The Gurkha Kitchen for hosting the whole thing!

Samurai: Not Just Sevens

01/04/202302/08/2023Mark "Deano" Dean

To prove that sevens players can also be a dab hand at the full version of the game I set out to pick a fifteen a side team from the Samurai RFC former players list. To make sure it reflected the International nature of the club I only allowed myself to pick one player from a nation and that player had to have played in that position in International fifteens for their nation. So without further ado……

1. Hubert Buydens (Canada)

2. Oliviero Fabiani (Italy)

3. Timote Tavalea (Tonga)

4. Nick Easter (England)

5. Raef Morrison (Hong Kong)

6. Malon Al Jiboori (USA)

7. Sam Cane (New Zealand)

8. Andrew Amonde (Kenya)

9. Pedro Leal (Portugal)

10.Callum Sheedy (Wales)

11. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)

12. Phillip Wokorach (Uganda)

13. Oriol Ripol (Spain)

14. Nemani Nadolo (Fiji)

15. Darcy Graham (Scotland)

Honourable Mentions:

Here are a few of the players, and their respective nations, who just missed out:

Adil Achabar (10) – Maroc, Anton Petrowitsch (7) – Chile, Henry Speight (14) – Australia, Taulupe Faletau (8) – Wales, Joe Ajuwa (11) – Nigeria

Kilimanjaro: Ngaje Ngai

04/09/202220/07/2023Mark "Deano" Dean

It feels great to be able to start planning and undertaking challenges now that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be behind us. It gives me the opportunity to start on the series of challenges I set myself and to start fundraising for a fantastic group of charities.

First up is to take on my long held desire to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Kilimanjaro is the highest peak on Africa, it makes up one of the the seven summits and is also the highest free standing mountain, above sea level, in the World. It has inspired countless expeditions, films, novels and pieces of art and is part of the fabric of East African culture. The Maasai call it’s snow covered, 19340 foot high, western summit ‘Ngaje Ngai’: the House of God.

I’ve set myself a target of £2500, which I hope to exceed, which will go to help the work of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust with their ongoing efforts to rescue and rehabilitate Elephants and Rhino in East Africa. As with all the challenges I undertake I cover the entire cost of the trip myself and every single penny raised goes to the charity.

I have supported the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust since I had the privilege of visiting their orphanage in Nairobi in 2009. Since then, as several friends and a host of nieces and nephews can attest, I have “adopted” dozens of orphan elephants and I have been very fortunate to have been able to visit them in person when attending the Safari 7s in Kenya. I also visited the orphanage in 2014 when I was on honeymoon so I am delighted that, finally after years of dropping me off and picking me up from airports, my fabulous supportive wife is going to be coming with me on this particular challenge.

Kilimanjaro or Ngaje Ngai- iss014e18950 by NASA Johnson is licensed under CC-BY-NC 2.0

I will endeavour to keep you updated with how the preparation and fundraising is going before the challenge in July and August 2024 but to get things started please follow this blog and, if you can, donate to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust here

If you would like to join the challenge please follow me and then DM via this site

Due South: Fair Winds And Following Seas

01/11/202103/11/2021Mark "Deano" Dean

Ok so I’m probably obsessing about the Southern half of the planet at this point but for some reason I googled what point of land, outside of Antarctica, was furthest south and got the answer South Georgia. At that point the world suddenly shrank dramatically. It turned out the only way to get to South Georgia is by sea and a few further google searches revealed that unless you want to go by cruise ship you pretty much need to sail there on a yacht from The Falkland Islands or the bottom of South America. As you can probably guess it is not like there are loads of yachts just waiting around for charter in Port Stanley but there was quite a lot of information readily available about the yachts that are based in that part of the world. One yacht, called Pelagic, immediately drew my attention and for all the right reasons.

Pelagic. Photo courtesy of Pelagic & Skip Novak

The reason I remembered a yacht called Pelagic is because an old friend, who I haven’t seen for almost fifteen years, was the skipper. Sure enough I soon found several articles about the yacht Pelagic and her long term skipper called Magnus Day. Magnus and I worked together delivering events for the likes of Ingenius, Concerto and VAK Design in the mid noughties and lost touch when he left to pursue his love of sailing. I tried his old contact details but figured they were probably long out of date. I did some digging and came across a few possible email addresses on the websites of some of the yacht charter firms he worked for. There was of course the fact there was a pretty decent chance he wouldn’t remember me anyway but I thought “why the hell not” and pinged off an email to all the email addresses I had found for him. I was not really expecting a response but figured I had nothing to lose. To my surprise less than 20 minutes later Mag replied by email, from where he was currently living in Ontario, while taking a break from shovelling snow off his drive. Swapping numbers I called him on WhatsApp and after a long overdue catch up I told him what I had in mind.

Having spoken to Magnus and talked through some of the disorganised ideas swirling around in my head things suddenly became much clearer. I followed it up with a conversation with my partner in crime Paul Jordan who, being used to my half baked ideas, always gives sound advice on what is, or is not, realistic. Jordy was very positive about the whole thing, apart from the distinct lack of wineries, and suggested a few elements that added to the story we could try and tell about yacht races, the vast southern ocean, unspoilt islands, snow capped mountains, shades of Shackleton on a fantastic adventure and bona fide challenge to boot: Out from Chile, The Cape Horn Monument, Elephant Island, South Georgia, Over the mountains to Grytviken, Shackleton’s grave, Falklands & Home

“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a gray mist on the sea’s face, and a gray dawn breaking.”
John Masefield

I’m not sure whether this would even work or if anyone else would be up for it but maybe with fair winds and following seas it’s a challenge for the future.

Samurai: The 25th Anniversary (1996-2021)

30/05/202129/03/2022Mark "Deano" Dean

At the 2021 edition of the Amsterdam 7s, had it gone ahead, Samurai RFC turned 25 years old. An amateur invitational team formed by former England manager Terry Sands in 1996 as a favour to the Amsterdam tournament organisers: Samurai RFC have become the standard by which all invitational rugby sevens teams are judged around the World.

The first ever team wasn’t too shabby. It contained the then unknown Martyn Williams alongside the likes Mike Boys and Chris Wyatt. The management team wasn’t bad either with Colin Hillman, Bob Reeves and Terry Sands all running the show.

Samurai RFC win their first ever tournament, the Amsterdam 7s, in 1996

Since then the club has identified and given opportunities to players from all over the World with a former players list that, from a rugby sevens perspective, is beyond compare. In fact only the Barbarians or British & Irish Lions, also invitational sides, come close to the sheer numbers of world class players to pull on their famous jerseys.

Now I will prefix what I say next with: I am clearly biased. In my opinion Samurai RFC is the most successful invitational rugby sevens club in the World. Now in my defense I can actually back up that claim with cold hard facts.

Samurai RFC have helped to produce Internationals, Olympians, Series record holders, World Players of the Year and top level coaches: below is snapshot of some of those achievements in the club’s 25th year.

At the club’s 20th Anniversary they could boast that over 70 of the players and staff present at the at the WSS London 7s were part of the #SamuraiFamily representing thirteen different nations.

Gathering of Samurai RFC at London 7s in 2016

As we begin the 2022 sevens season, including a delayed 25th party at the Amsterdam 7s, I am excited about what the next 25 years holds for this unique rugby club.

The Next Seven Years

30/12/202007/08/2023Mark "Deano" Dean

OK , I still don’t have a name for this project yet but I’m working on it. I’ve started putting together a calendar for the next seven years to work out what the challenges will be and what fundraising I will need to do to hit my target for my selected charities and causes.

Below is the itinerary, massively subject to change, that I am putting together. All offers of support, sponsorship and joining in are well received. It includes running further than I have ever done before, sailing stormy seas, climbing mountains on five continents: including three of the seven summits and finally attempting an 8000m peak in the Himalaya. To have a chance of pulling this off I am going to have to lose, in medical terms, shit loads of weight as well as be fitter than I have been since my twenties. I’ll have to manage my own mental demons and my physical weaknesses as well and I actually don’t know which of those will be harder. I will try and do so without losing my sense of purpose or, more importantly, my sense of humour. A Lung ta wouldn’t go amiss either.

So, without further ado here is my next seven years*

Cairngorm & Ben Macdui (Scotland) – January 2024 (Wooden Spoon)
Toubkal (Maroc) – February 2024 (Sheldrick Wildlife Trust)
Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, Africa) – July 2024 (Sheldrick Wildlife Trust)
Titsey Trail 10K (UK) – 2025 (Caring For Animals)
Le Marathon des chateaux du Medoc (France) – 2025 (Sheldrick Wildlife Trust)
The Lewa Marathon (Kenya, Africa) – 2025 (Tusk)
Cumbria Three Peaks (UK) – 2025 (Lighthouse Club & Caring For Animals)
Aconcagua (Argentina, South America) – 2026 (Wooden Spoon)
South Georgia Challenge (South Georgia, Antarctica) – 2027 (Wooden Spoon)
Cho Oyu (Nepal, Asia) – 2028 (Community Action Nepal)

If you are interested in joining me for any of these challenges, which are all self funded, not paid for by fundraising, or in supporting/sponsoring the efforts then please contact me via this website. So, while I am still planning and trying to come up with a bloody name for this great adventure I will leave you with the following:

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain

*absolutely the final draft (bloody covid/putin/money/time)

Not A Bucket List

29/12/202003/11/2021Mark "Deano" Dean

I think it is fair to say that this year has been a shit show from start to finish and, as usual, it is the vulnerable who suffer the most. To make matters worse 2020 is a year which has showcased some of the worst of humanity with selfishness, bullying, profiteering and cronyism seemingly everywhere. But. As is so often the case, adversity brings out the best in people: Marcus Rashford leading the charge to make sure children didn’t go hungry, Captain Tom fundraising for the NHS and the legendary mountaineer octogenarian Doug Scott climbing the equivalent height of Everest in his own home to raise money for Community Action Nepal just months before his own death from cancer. (The photos below show Scott wearing the same suit: when he climbed his stair Everest and when he summited the real Everest, forty years apart).

I hated watching so many of the event-based charities I support seriously struggle to not only fundraise or look after their own staff, but to even fulfil their purpose. Given that a lot of these charities were, by definition, working with the most vulnerable in society, their own struggle during the pandemic only exacerbated the trials of others.

As this seemingly endless year finally draws to an agonising close, my thoughts turn to the future. Recently, I had been looking into possible options for a follow up to the Everest Rugby challenge. So far, a suitable challenge had eluded me but, whilst at the drawing board, I had come up with a fair few other ideas that I wanted to add to a “bucket list” anyway. Once I got over the fact I hate the term “bucket list” obviously.

The problem I have with “bucket list” is that it has become synonymous with the usual one-upmanship of #livingmybestlife, social media and all that bollocks. But, what if the concept could be used for something more than filling followers of an Instagram account with envy or demonstrating the insignificance of the account owner’s genitalia? I also dislike that bucket lists are often thought of as enterprises undertaken when you retire. Why couldn’t I go a different way, and tick off a few incredible challenges, when I was marginally younger and fitter, but with the aim of raising money for some causes very close to my heart, rather than raising the number of followers on a social media account?

I’ve decided, after this Covid-19 pandemic has ended obviously, that before my 50th birthday on Wednesday 29th March 2028 I will take on a variety of challenges, in an attempt to raise a minimum of £50,000 for some amazing charities and causes. The easiest bit was choosing the charities and causes; I have supported all of them at various times throughout my life: Wooden Spoon, Tusk, The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Community Action Nepal, Nina Kahn, Samurai RFC, The Lighthouse Club and Caring For Animals.