copyright: M. Blachon
Interview with Daniel Puchalski, former rugby player and twice-winner of the Polish Championship (First Senior League). He ranked third in the League, won the Polish Cup (in the 1990s) and the Polish Veterans Championship (he won the championship, and remained the runner-up for the next 20 years). He studied at the University of Gdańsk, the University of Business and Administration in Gdynia and the SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw.
WO: An old British saying goes: ‘Football is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans, and rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen’. To this very day people in Anglo-Saxon countries think that rugby is a sport for the upper class, the social elite or boarding school students. Why did you choose rugby?
DP: As a child I was looking for my path in life. I wanted to know who I wished to become in my adult life and find my place in sports. I have always felt that sport is interesting and useful, an activity that challenges you and procures a sense of achievement. My path turned out to be winding. I started as a football player in Lechia Gdańsk Club, but only six months later did I realize that it was not my piece of cake. Football is a team sport but every step of the way I felt that the coach and players were highly individualistic. Next, I took up basketball and volleyball. My primary school years were all about athletics, something that prepared me physically for karate and rugby.
Rugby was like love at first sight. After the very first practice I already knew that no other sport would matter. This happened for some reason. A rugby team is build on a group of people who support one another both on the field and in life. Sometimes your best friend would play hard against you during a practice session but afterwards he will shake your hand and discuss your mistakes if you’ve messed up. Respect is the rule of the game not only in the team. Every rugby player is taught from the start to respect referees, coaches, fans and opponents. In rugby respect and friendship are two cardinal rules.
WO: Rugby is a family sport. Stands in the arena are not divided into home and away sections. After the match they all meet during the third half. It sounds mysterious. What does it mean exactly?
DP: In rugby, it’s a sacred tradition. The third half is actually a post-game picnic where the two teams meet, sometimes with their families and fans. They share comments on fierce plays, drinking beer and laughing together because they all know each other. We part ways in peace to give our best again in the next game.
WO: Playing rugby develops a lot of positive skills. Is there anything from what you have learned on the field that impacts your everyday live?
DP: Rugby gave me an opportunity to develop such skills as multitasking, quick response and physical and mental stamina. Of course, it was not the only factor in building my character. What also mattered was the upbringing my parents gave me and other life events that changed my attitude.
WO: What made the connection for you?
DP: In my case it was rugby and Buddhism.
WO: These skills are very relevant not only in private life but also in professional settings. Respect, friendship and quick reflexes are definitely helpful in being a leader. Do they help you today in your position as an executive and as a team member?
DP: Many years of treating my teammates and my opponents with respect shaped my healthy attitude to business today, namely to treat business partners as human beings, to respect their actions and time. Tolerance, respect for others and persistence are values that you do transfer to your professional life. The qualities that I developed through hard work on the field, once adapted in professional life, make people want to work with you. It’s not only about providing quality services; it’s also about being honest in your job. In a rugby team, insincerity and false fellowship are spotted right away. And if someone fails to develop the qualities expected of a rugby player, he has to leave the team.
Some aspects of rugby may be similar to negotiations in professional life. What is distinctive of this sport is that you can pass the ball only with your hand backwards, and it can only be moved ahead if kicked. In negotiations you sometimes have to ‘trick’ your opponents, pretending that you give up something (passing the ball backwards) but in your strategy (the move) you intentionally plan to engage the opponent in a game in which they may lose. Eventually, this move can give you a win. Of course there is a fine line between healthy and honest manipulation and cheating, and there is no place for it, neither in professional life nor in rugby. Unless someone thinks differently, but that’s probably a topic for another conversation…
Passion2Value The concept of conversations and projects based on the combination of passions and values from various fields. By working in a specific setting, exercising or developing your passions, e.g. in sports or music, based on broader knowledge and skills from other disciplines, you can learn something as an academic discipline. You can create valuable things and enjoy yourself, at the same time.
