Our intrepid Chairman has been talking with James Stokes about Life, the Universe and Everything.

Here is the full text of this in-depth interview.

Jerry Browne (JB) James thank you so much for agreeing to have this conversation. I am afraid it is not going to make it on to Sky Sports, but we do have 350 members, who will be very interested to hear from you.

So, to start off, where and when did you start playing rugby?

James Stokes (JS) I was born and bred in Mansfield and went to school in Nottingham. I grew up as a footballer, and I am still a Manchester United fan, which has been difficult this season.

When I was 12/13, I started mixing Football and Rugby, when I was asked to play Full Back for the year 9 A team. A lot of my friends were playing, and I thought it was a bit like British Bulldog, but with a ball and I fell in love with the game. I was in the same school team as Alex Lexington, who has been a lifelong friend. In the under 15’s, we just gave the ball to him, and he ran the length of the pitch to score the try.

JB – Alex was always very quick, but looking at your highlights reel, you were no slouch.

JS – Yes but Alex was 20kg heavier than me, I was just a lanky kid. Then I started in the gym and filled out a bit.

JB – How did you start your path into professional rugby?

JS – After school I was signed into the Nottingham Academy, playing for Glen Delaney, as coach, a London Irish legend. He gave me my chance at Nottingham.

In my 2nd game as full back, we were drawing 17-17 against Pontypridd. I had missed 4 shots at goal, then right at the end of the game I slotted a long drop goal to win the game. I trot out the video of that to my friends, whenever I want to brag a bit.

Then Glen joined London Irish as coach, and took several players with him, including Alex, who was at Leicester, Jimmy Stevens, and Johnny Harris.

Martin Haag came in as coach, and I had expected that my 2nd season at Nottingham would be my breakthrough season, but I had an illness at the start of the season, came back to playing too quickly and tore a groin muscle, which put pay to my whole season. I felt then that I was out of favour at Nottingham, so I dropped down a couple of leagues, and went to play for a former coach, Roland Winter at Cambridge. So, I was travelling from Nottingham, where I was studying at University to Cambridge twice per week for training, and at weekends to play. That was quite gruelling, and I became injury prone as a result, I believe.

After I finished university, Cambridge helped me to find a job as an Environmental Engineer, which I really enjoyed. Plus, I got back my love of rugby, after a disappointing end to my time at Nottingham.

We got promotion in my 2nd season there, then Roland Winter landed the job as Coach at Coventry. I was not sure about going back into the full professional game, but Roland convinced me, for a time I was still working in Cambridge and travelling to Coventry.

So, I left my job, and threw in my lot with Coventry, playing and doing some local coaching. We lost a lot of players at the end of my first season, but recruited really well, including Luke Narraway, and several top Championship players, including Max Trimble, who was seriously quick. I had played with him when I was 12, and he is still my best friend.

In my 2nd year, I was at full back, I scored 21 tries, Max on the left wing scored 19 tries, and Rob Knox on the right wing 18 tries. We had a great season and were promoted to the Championship. Then right at the start of the new season, I tore a knee ligament, and missed the first half of the season, but still managed to score 8 tries in 12 games.

I spoke with Luke and Louis Deacon and said that I was realistic about my prospects having not gone through a Premiership Academy, but they thought it would not be a barrier to me playing in the premiership.

Then in December 2019, my agent heard that Irish were looking for cover at full back, with various players injured, Tom Parton and Theo Brophy Clews included. They had played Toulon on the Saturday, Declan Kidney and Les Kiss asked my agent if they could meet me. We met in Richmond. I spent most of the meeting trying to understand what Declan was saying! At some meetings you only got the last few words that he was saying, but somehow it made it all come together.

So, they gave me an opportunity, and I got the call the following Tuesday night, be in training at Hazelwood on Wednesday morning. I arranged to stay with a friend in West London and travelled down that night.

I walked into the breakfast room at Hazelwood, got some food and sat down at a table with Sean O‘Brien and Nick Phipps, plus some Academy lads. I was a bit overawed; I had only seen them from afar. I did a training session, was the told I was on the bench on Saturday. I didn’t know that many of the team’s names, only the big stars.

On matchday, I had one and a half sessions under my belt, got stuck in traffic, was late to Hazelwood- sounds like I am making a string of excuses for what happened in the game, which I expect most of your readers will remember.

That game was the worst and the best thing that had happened to me. I look back at the tape and cringe. Paddy Jackson pulled a hamstring after 10 minutes and I am on!

There had been a 6-week break in the Championship, so maybe I was not as sharp as I should have been. It was the most amazing learning experience. There is no hiding place in the Premiership. Wow, enough said.

My second game was away at Saints, Friday night at Franklin’s Gardens under the lights. We had a great win. My first taste of winning in the Premiership.

I remember putting up a high ball which was caught by Taqele Naiyaravoro, who ran it back at me, so I had to tackle him. I was half knocked out. The man was huge.

Then Covid kicked in. I was on a 6-month deal, and they were not going to retain me. Declan gave me the opportunity to stay and train with the squad, while I looked for something else. I did quite well in training, so they offered me another short-term contract, I played quite well again so Irish signed me on again.

I played against Pau, at home, and scored a couple of tries, but I had started to feel really unwell towards the end of the game. Afterwards I was tested for Covid – positive. I was the first member of the squad to be infected. I had to isolate and ended up spending Christmas Day on my own. At the end of the season Irish gave me a 2-year deal.

JB – What did you do after the demise of the London Irish professional team?

JS – I had some interest from an English and a French club, then I spoke to a few clubs in USA, including Rugby ATL at Atlanta. The management there, Mark Cagney and Steve Brett, I had known from there time in New Zealand, so I agreed a deal to play in Atlanta. Then I got a call to say the club had been purchased and was relocating to Los Angeles. My eyes lit up; I had had the “California Dream” as a kid. I played in the MLR for a year. We had a very small squad, and it was pretty hard going. I had a 3-year contract, but it was all a bit messy, contracts are not quite the same in the States, and I was released last summer, to save money. So, I came back to the UK in August ‘24.

I had learnt a lot from elite sport about performance, good and bad outcomes, and leadership. I met a guy called Neil Tanner, who is running a company called the Performance Chain. He showed me the results they are achieving. I am now working there as a Business Development Director in the UK. We help businesses of all sizes, we work in the UK, States and Australia. We work with companies that are experiencing employee burn out, low employee engagement, high staff turnover rates, underperforming teams. We are looking to integrate behaviours from Elite Sport.

JB – Were you encouraged by London Irish to look beyond your rugby career?

JS – Yes Declan Kidney was very encouraging on that front, as was the Rugby Players Association. We had career development plans and were encouraged to attend seminars and conferences on careers and career planning.

JB – Who would you say was the best player that you ever played with?

JS – Beyond all doubt – Paddy Jackson. His ball / handling skills and his vision are unbelievable. Unfortunately, he has a rotator cuff problem at the moment and is out for the season.

JB – What interests do you have outside of rugby? I understand that you are a bit of a golfer.

JS – I’m a very keen golfer; we used to play at Foxhills.

JB – I have played with Lovejoy a couple of times.

JS – I have got a great video of Lovejoy putting up a slope, the ball goes up the slope and then rolls right back to his feet. The look on his face is classic. There is too much meat there for him to be a good golfer.

Have you seen Max Northcote-Green play golf?

JB – Yes, I have played with him and Tom Smallbone.

JS – Nogger (Max) has got the biggest slice you have ever seen, I have got a video of that as well.

JB – We will have a game sometime.  Any other interests?

JS – I am a keen DJer. I played George Knott’s wedding. Conor Gilsenan is going back to Ireland for good shortly. I am supposed to be playing at his leaving do.

I love walking my dog Murphy, but I am so busy with the Performance Chain at the moment, so I am giving that my all.

JB – I suppose this is your first real job. You have been living the dream up to now.

JS – Well I have always had an eye on the future. I didn’t want to end up at 34/35 years old saying right, what comes next? Which is why I am so excited and getting really stuck in.

I am fully retired now. I might try a few games in the future, but right now I am enjoying that Friday night feeling of having the weekend off. You never got that as a player because there was always a game on Saturday.

JB – Are you still in contact with any other Irish players?

JS – Yes, I am groomsman for Rory Jennings’ wedding this summer.

Nick Phipps, he has just done his ACL. Rob Symons, Ben Loader, George Knott, Ollie Hassell-Collins.

We have a NFL Fantasy group with me, Ben Loader, Henry Arundell, Matt Williams, Theo Brophy-Clews, Isaac Curtis-Harris, and Blair Cowan.

That is what I really loved about Irish. I have so many mates.

We still have our London Irish WhatsApp group going. So sad what has happened. It still feels like home. So many good people there.

JB – Well James, I think that is a good place to stop. Thank you so much for your time today. All the very best for the future. Hopefully we will meet on the golf course.