Shoemark puts in the hard yards

Pre-season maybe a necessary evil for all professional sportsmen, but Exeter Chiefs star Jason Shoemark insists the hard work that is put in now will ensure rewards are reaped later in the season.

Shoemark is set to embark on his fourth season with the Devon club and the New Zealander is clearly relishing the challenge that lies in store for both himself and his team-mates at Sandy Park.

The 32-year-old centre, who joined the Chiefs in 2010 from Super 15 outfit Highlanders, has proved an instant hit since arriving on English soil and has played a key role in Exeter's emergence as a force not only within the Aviva Premiership, but also in Europe where the club have featured in both the Amlin Challenge and Heineken Cups.

Speaking at the club's recent Season Launch, Shoemark spoke of how much he is looking forward to the forthcoming 2013/14 campaign.

"It's nice to out on the field again in rugby kit because it sort of gets the adrenalin going again," he said. "The new season is not too far away now for us and we're all really looking forward to it."

Like all the current Chiefs, Shoemark has been putting in endless hours of labour on the training field to ensure he is in fine fettle for the rigours of another year. However, the Whangarei-born back says it's vital the hard yards are carried out now to ensure ultimate success later in the year.

"Pre-season is a necessary evil," he says. "It's part and parcel of rugby these days because you don't want to stop and not do any exercise because if you do, it's just too hard when you do eventually come back in for training. Thankfully the summer has arrived this year - it's the first in four years for me here in Exeter - but I'm not complaining.

"What I do know is the boys have been working incredibly hard because it's not too long until we get those first games under way."

With an away-day at Scarlets first up in pre-season on August 17, then successive home tests against Bristol (Aug 24) and Glasgow Warriors (Aug 31), the Chiefs have three testing encounters to get themselves up to speed ahead of their seasonal opener at Northampton Saints on September 7.

For Shoemark, the development and further growth of the Chiefs - both on and off the field - is something he is keen to see more of over the coming years.

"It's exciting times at the club," he added. "When I first came over it was all about survival, but over the years we've established ourselves well within the Premiership and in Europe and now we want to kick on that little bit more. What we have here at the club is a great bunch of guys, all of whom are willing to push on and better themselves. Hopefully this will be another big season for us."

Certainly the Chiefs have underlined their blossoming credentials in recent times, claiming top six finishes and Heineken Cup qualification for the past two years in the top flight. And Shoemark says it is that kind of form that is helping to attract players from around the world to the Westcountry.

"Last season Dean [Mumm] came into the squad and this year we've brought in the likes of Don [Armand] and Fetu'u [Vainikolo] - all of whom have played Super Rugby - in as well. If you add them into what is a very talented mix of players, especially some of the English boys, I think we're in good shape going into the new season. I know from my own experience just how tough it is to get into our starting XV and I'm expecting more of the same this season."

Helping to back the Chiefs' cause will be the club's 'Tribe' of supporters, many of whom rack up the miles each year to make themselves heard on the terraces around England and Europe.

Shoemark admits the support for the Chiefs is always "fantastic" whether it be home or away and he continued: "I don't think there is a better crowd in Europe. Sandy Park on a full match-day is just amazing and the support we get, wherever we play, is just massive and it helps give us that extra push in games."

Hopefully Shoemark and his colleagues will ensure there is plenty more to cheer once the season gets underway in just over a month's time.

Report by Mark Stevens

Pictures: Exeter Rugby Club/Pinnacle Photo Agency

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