Well now, if you've come visiting The Team, you're either very curious or lost! Whatever the case, here's those crazy enough to get involved to bring you the amazing publication Rugby Unplugged!
If you'd like to email any one of us, just click on the photo and hopefully, technology permitting, a pre-addressed email will pop up.
PREETI VIRDEE
EDITOR
TWO startling events took place at the beginning of the 21st Century: England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup and Preeti Virdee arrived in earnest on the rugby scene. To begin with, she gained invaluable experience in a core rugby skill required to appreciate the sport and succeed in the industry by launching the rugby-favourite wine bar Harrington’s On The Green in Twickenham – of course this experience required the ability to drink pretty much everyone under the table! The natural progression of course was to get involved with her greatest passion – England Rugby, which she did by taking on the role of advertising manager for England Rugby magazine for the RFU, as well as launching Scotland Rugby magazine for the SRU. So having acquired the necessary skills, she then moved on to Rugby For the Girls as journalist, media manager and co-editor.
Prior to that, having been subjected to public school in the form of both the Old Vicarage prep school in Richmond, followed by the Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton, and then some bright sparks at University awarding her a degree in Economics, she concluded that the way forward had to be in the fine art of marketing – trying to become a legend in her own lunchtime. She has been a marketing professional since 1994 in a number of industries with companies including Tarmac Professional Services and Comshare. However, after discovering that rugby on Planet Earth was seriously lacking in the lifestyle department, she decided to fill the gap with Rugby Unplugged.
If you do not find Preeti eating, breathing, talking or watching rugby (or obsessing over her rugby hero Martin Johnson), please check – she might not have a pulse.
MIKE TREMLETT
RUGBY EDITOR & RESIDENT PETROLHEAD
SHOULD you come across Mike Tremlett at a rugby match in the UK or Europe , he’ll be readily identifiable by a whiff of his unique and bespoke brand of aftershave, which boasts a bass note of Wintergreen and a top end smacking of high-octane petrol.
If you need any more clues, just look for the smug smile of a lucky man who attends top-class rugby matches – domestic, European and international - and associated social events in other people’s cars, usually the most exclusive top-end models borrowed from the world’s leading car manufacturers.
A man of many parts, some of which are still reputed to function, Mike is a former rugby writer for The Bath Chronicle, which he still serves as motoring editor, and an ex-chief sports writer at the Aberdeen based daily newspaper, The Press and Journal.
He underwent a major sporting epiphany around the turn of the century (yes, he is that old!)- and made a major career switch which saw him abandon the boredom of covering goings-on in the round ball game to follow, report on and commentate on events in the far more exciting world of the oval game.
Unplugged’s very own Jeremy Clarkson, although he claims to be far less bombastic and self-opinionated and far better looking, Mike is a member of the Guild of British Motoring Writers, giving him an informed insight into what’s what in the motoring world and access to the latest and most exciting forms of four-wheeled transport on the planet.
And he has the nerve to call all that work!
TONY ROCHE
ROCHEY'S RANT
BORN, Wexford, Ireland, 1949.
Began on weekly Barnet Press followed by Hendon Times, Watford Evening Echo, Hayters Fleet Street Sports Agency, IPC Magazines. Freelance for seven years on Sunday Mirror, Daily Mirror, The Times and London Evening News.
Joined Today as rugby correspondent in 1986 and moved to The Sun as rugby correspondent in 1995. Covered all World Cups since inaugural 1987 tournament, six Lions tours and more than 300 internationals around the globe, 233 of them involving England.
His involvement with Rugby Unplugged came about from meeting the Editor at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, where she became his personal red wine bootlegger smuggling numerous bottles into various stadiums across France, mostly courtesy of Eurostar!
Since Rochey is infamous for his choice opinions on global rugby [amongst other things], it would have been entirely churlish to not make use of this his centuries of experience and knowledge buried somewhere under case or two of vintage.
Hobbies: Rugby, red wine and raging at the Moon.
FARZANEH JANASHEEN KASSAM
BEAUTY GODDESS
FARZANEH – a lady of many talents and for her sins, a former housemate of our Editor’s at Uni [studying health education & promotion] so no doubt she could tell a few secrets…but back to our South London girl: she started out as mobile beauty retail assistant for Decleor skincare 10 years ago whilst studying at the London College of Beauty Therapy. After graduating – having majored in aromatherapy facials and massage, Swedish massage and corrective makeup - she progressed to Beauty Room Salon Manager for Decleor in Selfridges.
Four years later, Farzaneh trained with Guerlain at Fenwick Bond Street, specialised in makeup and fragrances. Thanks to her passion, she was one of a select few to be trained in the Guerlain facial in Paris. After which she became the Account Manager and Massage therapist for.
It was only a matter of time before she was head-hunted by Sisley. And then again to become the Account Manager for beauty & fragrance counter staff across London.
And talk about bragging! Farzaneh has had the pleasure of working closely with Jon Gustafson – world renowned beauty guru, and make up artiste, Frey-Ja Barker.
All in all…she knows her beauty…but rugby…well she likes the men!
SAM BIRD
FASHIONISTA IN THE MAKING
ALL the way over from the coldest continent in the world, Canada, Samantha Bird is the newest member to join Rugby Unplugged. Tossed into rugby on landing and forced to understand the rules and reasons for the tiny shorts, she was able to catch on to the game without a hitch!
Finishing-up a fashion journalism course at London Coleage of Fashion, then interning at the MaxMara show-room house, she realised that there was more to her skill than just fashion; Sam decided to become a full-on journalist and take her NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists), where she’d be taught the fine art of being a profound, articulate and inspirational journalist.
A baby to the profession but a guru in fashion, Sam will be the enthusiastic, freckly-country girl who will be telling you all about the up and coming trends on the fashion scene and helping to create a better understanding of the clothes we choose to wear, giving you helpful hints with texture and colour palettes, and the ever-important rugby match outfit!
HELEN BAYES
PR GURU
AFTER years of protesting to her father that she really didn't want to watch rugby, this Somerset girl (sans accent!) was finally seduced by the game whilst studying within a stone's throw of the Tiger's lair at De Montfort University in Leicester. In a city that eats, breathes and sleeps rugby, it was hard not to develop an appreciation for the game (and the lovely men that play it!).
A BA Hons in English and Film was followed by an MA in Public Relations (with a lot of hockey being played in between). A chance email led to a months work experience within the Press and PR department at Bath Rugby, led to Helen falling even more in love with the game (possibly verging on the obsessive) and a whole new career path being opened up to her.
Come August, a season long internship with Harlequins began, and after one of the most exhilarating seasons imaginable, Helen moved back home to the countryside to get some much needed fresh air!
She will be handling the PR for Rugby Unplugged.
JO WALLWORK
IMAGES
HAVING been schooled at the highly regarded Francis Holland public school in the heart of Central London, this Sloane Ranger moved to the Midlands to finish off her full time education at Loughborough University, graduating with a Civil Engineering degree. She returned to her beloved London and became a transport consultant, in 2003 a colleague introduced her to Preeti. After 7 years of hassle from friends about the state of the roads and how she shouldn’t be helping with the introduction of bus lanes she decided that a new challenge was needed.
So with a post grad Diploma in Management Studies and Prince 2 tucked under her belt she took a job at Turner and Townsend Ltd, as a construction Project Manager. As most people do she took a well deserved holiday between jobs and was joined on this by RU’s Editor and Chief Miss Virdee. On one particularly relaxed day whilst lying on a lounger being served VERY large G & Ts by an attentive Tunisian bar man these two discussed how Preeti didn’t want to write for anyone else and what she could do about it….4 days and a ream of paper later Rugby Unplugged was conceived.
Jo has been known to be found sitting on the sidelines of rugby pitches and at press conferences taking photos of the beautiful players.
