Live and Kicking Magazine - February 2000
When we asked Adam to train with the rock hard lads of Wasps Rugby Club he was in his size nine boots before L&K could shout scrum down.
So Ad did you enjoy playing a birrov rugger?
Yeah! It's been really fun and I'm not as unfit as I thought I was! I still love watching rugby, although I can't play any more. The pop scene's so different it's untrue. Perhaps it's because I'm a Gemini - it's my split personality coming screaming through.
You used to play rugby?
I did at school. I used to play hooker (toughest position in rugby) and because it was my big ambition to play professionally I trained to be a lot bigger than I am now, like 14 stone! Honest. But however big I got, I couldn't get rid of my scrawny chicken legs.
We can't imagine you being 14 stone...
I'm about 11 now. It took a lot of work. My muscles are quite defined but it took ages to get the bulk on and I had to constantly eat loads of pasta and body building stuff.
Hookers are famed for being quite nasty players...
Yeah, I was always really sly. You can be a lot dirtier when you're a hooker because no-one can see you in the middle of the scrum - you can bite and punch. I had this great trick: I'd free my arms from my team mates, grab the opposing hooker and put my head between his legs so he couldn't move. Then I'd be able to hook the ball backwards. If he'd try to hit me I'd be able to head-butt his bits. It was a great little trick.
Were you ever injured?
As a hooker you're always liable to get hit and I lost three teeth and had my jaw broke. The worst was when I dislocated both my shoulders. I tackled this massive player really hard and he fell on top of me and when they peeled him off me my two arms were just dangling there. I've got this really good party trick where I can dislocate my shoulders, they pop out really easily and go all dangly. They don't hurt going out but it really hurts going back in. I've also broken my nose three times boxing.
Do you ever get annoyed cos people think you are a real soft guy?
It's just one of those things. That's the big thing with British pop music, as soon as you do something poppy you get categorised. It's the same for me just cos I'm in pop music I get seen as a right softie. It doesn't bother me but I'd rather people be honest about what I'm like.
