Woodburn happy to reinvent himself
By Brent Pilnick
23/12/22
"You've got to sometimes reinvent yourself, reinvent your motivations," says Exeter Chiefs winger Olly Woodburn as he reflects on his eighth season at Sandy Park.
The 31-year-old has been an ever-present in the Chiefs side this season and is now one of the two-time Premiership champions' longest-serving players.
He is second on Exeter's all-time Premiership try-scorers list with 42 - only France-bound back-row Sam Simmonds has scored more with 56.
The former Bath back says focusing on himself and his own wellbeing has helped his longevity at Sandy Park in a side that has made six Premiership finals and regularly been among the country's elite.
"I've been naturally lucky with the attributes I've had - I'm strong and quick - but I think throughout a career to stay at a high level you need to adapt and change your approach to the game," he said.
"I've become a lot more disciplined with my diet, my routines, my attitude towards doing things off the field and off the pitch, and my mindset. I put a lot of emphasis on mindfulness and the mental side of it, so just being a bit more professional I guess as I get older, and not just relying on athleticism."
That focus on himself has not gone unnoticed - he has made Exeter's number 11 shirt his own and scored five tries in all competitions so far this season.
"The pleasing thing for me is he almost seems to be still improving, and that's what you really want to see from a coaching perspective," said Exeter's director of rugby Rob Baxter. "He's really thrived on having a lot of game time this season, but he's deserved it and he's earned it, worked very hard for it and had a very, very good pre-season. He came in in probably the best condition for a pre-season that he ever has, which says a lot for him as a guy getting a bit older.
"I think he's really got his head around that whole part of being a very good and professional rugby player, so I'm really pleased for him. I think he's doing fantastically well."
It has not all been plain sailing for Woodburn - he has had his share of injuries and, over the years, the likes of Jack Nowell, Alex Cuthbert and Tom O'Flaherty have pushed him for a place on the wing - and sometimes relegated the Bristol-born back to the bench or beyond.
He has featured in four of Exeter's six Premiership final appearances - he started in the wins over Wasps in 2017 and 2020 - but missed out on the knockout stage matches when the Chiefs won the European Champions Cup in 2020.
"The best way to do it is to focus on you and what you can offer. If you start looking at other people then you've lost your focus at that point," he says about being faced with rivals for his shirt.
"There's a quote 'comparison is the thief of joy' - so if you're always comparing yourself to other players you're just not going to be in a good place. What I've done over the last couple of years is look back at what I do best and really try and focus on my strengths and bring that to the game.
"There was a period of time where Tom O'Flaherty, Alex Cuthbert, Jack Nowell were all playing very well and it was just so hard to get into the team if you had one off game. I was always looking at them rather than looking at me, so the best way to approach that situation is to focus on yourself and focus on your strengths."
And while Woodburn's career may have more years behind it than remain in front, he still has goals he wants to achieve in the game, despite having won so much already.
"I've got a little boy who motivates me hugely," he says. "He's just turning two so he doesn't quite understand rugby yet. It'll be great to be fit enough and play games while he can watch and be involved, so that's a big ambition for me.
"Just building a legacy where I can look back... I've got some appearance goals and try goals and Championship titles I want to get to before I hang my boots up, so there's definitely a lot to gain over these next few years."