Quote

I come from a country that lives and breathes rugby, and I didn't think there would be anywhere else in the world that could be the same. But New Zealand takes it to another dimension. It's extraordinary how much passion Kiwis have for the game.

The more time I was spending with the British team, the more of a laugh I was having with them. It's clean, their way of cycling; it's more about what you can produce as an athlete.

Before there was any chance to go to England, I changed schools, and it was rugby from there on in.

We should be pushing our boundaries. After all, we Britons are explorers and adventurers.

England is a fairly envious little country and it's embodied in the press. They don't like anyone being more distinguished than they are.

Rugby takes its toll.

Because of the long, long history of British shipping, immigration, trade, empire, missionaries, you can have a better shot at telling a worldwide story in the British Museum's collection than any other. Britain has been more connected with the rest of the world than any other country, for longer.

Even modern English people are imperious, superior, ridden by class. All of the hypocrisy and the difficulties that are endemic in being British also make it an incredibly fertile place culturally. A brilliant place to live. Sad but true.

One of London's massive strengths is its sporting prowess, its great football teams.

I'm not as big a soccer fan as people might imagine, being British.