PROPTALK: Melvyn Hopps Armagh RFC

Height: 5 11”
Weight: 16 stone
Appearances Qualifying 1: 300 +
Clubs: Royal School Armagh & Armagh RFC
Honours & Victories: Captain Royal School Armagh 1999 – 2000, Captain of Armagh RFC twice, Ulster U21 Panel, Played Ulster Juniors, Captained Armagh RFC Q2 winning side to move into Q 1, Towns Cup twice, & Junior Cup twice.

When did rugby begin for you?

1st year Royal School Armagh, Slotted in nicely, dabbled a bit in the first four years and got more involved in 5th year and then went from 4th team to 1st team in the same year.

Who are the best props you have played against?

One of the best would be Richard Mackie from Dromore RFC, also Chunka Portadown RFC, and I had the privelege of playing against Gary Leslie, a big man, in a training match for Dungannon, which gave me a real indication of what it is to prop against the best.

Most memorable prop story?

In the 2008/9 season I injured a rotator cuff in a scrum against Clogher Valley RFC, an excruciating painful moment, I could not lift my arm for a week, my shoulder popped at the same time. Also in the 2008/09 season as title contenders at Christmas we had to play Limavady RFC and we were expected to beat them easily, however they were leading by 3 points in the final stage of the game and they had a scrum on their 22, we drove them of the ball, won the ball and our team scored a try to win by one point at the end of the game, that moment kept us in contention for the league title – we quite simply had to win that scrum!

What does propping mean to you?

It means everything to me, it might not be glamorous and you might not get the plaudits, its a workman like position, you get your head down and create ball to give the faster guys some space, the front row union is very true and there is a great feeling when the basics are going well, and you put it all together.

What it feel like to be a prop?

I’m proud to be a prop, and a prop @ Armagh RFC for 10 seasons, I might not be the biggest but my strength and technique brings me through, you don’t have to be 20 stone as the modern era prop is like an extra back row player, you have to be able to take a ball in the middle of the park and spin round missing a player before getting an offload away. If you’re sore on a Sunday then you know you were up against a good prop!

Who’s the biggest bandit on the Armagh Team?

Too many to mention! – Matty Wright – Wild as a March hair!

Shaved or unshaved?
Shaved.

Beers wines or Spirits?
Definitely Beer.

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