Forget clandestine meetings and hushed tones about global domination. For a select group within the British & Irish Lions touring squad, the real secret society involves hot drinks and heartfelt conversations. Welcome to the “Prop Club,” an informal, yet evidently vital, fraternity of the team`s six front-row forwards.
Despite an unwritten first rule suggesting its very existence should remain a mystery, the veil was recently lifted by none other than one of its full-fledged members, **Pierre Schoeman**. He revealed that the bond forged among the props during the intense environment of a Lions tour became so strong that they decided to make it official, albeit in their own unique way.
“Every evening we get together, we have tea, and we have some really good chats,” Schoeman disclosed. While the image of burly rugby props might not immediately conjure thoughts of delicate teacups and deep emotional sharing, Schoeman confirmed their surprising duality. “Yeah, though we are proper bison, we also have a soft side to our characters.”
The brainchild of this unique collective was prop **Finlay Bealham**, who proposed the idea of the front-row union breaking away from the larger squad at times to spend more focused time together. The invitation, it seems, was accepted by all six props on tour, creating an exclusive inner circle.
Beyond the ritual of tea, the club serves a crucial support function. As Schoeman noted, “A lot of boys have become dads over the last year or two, so we support each other being away from our families.” This shared experience of separation and new fatherhood provides a deep well of mutual understanding.
The topics of discussion within the club are varied, ranging from predictable rugby man-talk – think Vikings, meat, and the dark arts of scrummaging – to surprisingly intimate personal histories. Members have openly shared challenging life experiences, such as **Andrew Porter`s** childhood loss of his mother or **Ellis Genge`s** reflections on growing up in the less privileged area of Knowle West in Bristol. According to Schoeman, this willingness to be vulnerable is an essential part of fostering the necessary unity among players drawn from four different nations, making the long touring period significantly easier to navigate.
Schoeman particularly highlighted the close relationships he`s built. “I`ve become really close with Andrew Porter and Ellis Genge. We have, turns out, a lot more in common than we have differences.” He offered a particularly candid, and perhaps slightly irreverent, observation about his fellow front-rowers:
“Looseheads across the world are very similar. They`re quite strange people. I always say: `To play rugby, you have to be a bit out of your mind. And to play loosehead… I`ll keep quiet about tightheads. Looseheads can go very far into dark places both morally and spiritually.`” A perspective that adds a touch of intriguing depth – or perhaps just classic prop self-awareness – to their camaraderie.
Sources close to the touring party have corroborated the strong bond among the front row. **Ellis Genge** and **Finlay Bealham** are reportedly inseparable, while the Irish prop Bealham has also become Schoeman`s preferred roommate throughout the tour, a pairing solidified by their shared fascination with Norse mythology.
Ultimately, the “Prop Club” isn`t just about tea and esoteric chats. It`s a testament to the unique pressures and bonds formed in the front row of rugby, a micro-community providing essential emotional and social support, proving that even the toughest athletes benefit from connection and a good cup of tea.
