“You Can’t just Bet your Life on Rugby”… Work and Exercise at the Same Time, It's Already Been a Year

Korea Super Rugby League runner-up, Knee to Hyundai Glovis in the final, narrowing the gap with other teams compared to a year ago due to consistent training and recruiting foreign players

“Rugby is good, but it’s not everything in life.

You can’t bet everything on it"

Yoo Ki-jung was the captain of the OK Financial Group's business team, Ssotman Rugby Team, but he was not an ordinary player.

He was a 'working player.' 카지노사이트

His first job was customer management work at a financial company.

Currently, he is in charge of administrative work as a member of the OK Financial Group sports team.

Then, in the early morning, after work, and on weekends, he transforms into a rugby player again.

The Shotman Rugby Team was founded in March last year with the slogan ‘Working Rugby Players’.

It is operated in a way that players take on separate positions within OK Financial Group to make a living, and train and compete outside of work hours.

If your skills are so good that you can make a living just from rugby, go to a corporate team with a proud tradition, such as Korea Electric Power Corporation or Hyundai Glovis.

Many of the players who did not make it there joined the Short Man Rugby Team.

It is said that, unlike full-time players in other professional teams, the players of the Short Man Rugby Team have two ‘main jobs’, making it more difficult.

For those who have only played as athletes, living as a regular office worker is naturally not easy.

The original rugby team had about 50 to 60 members, but now there are only 31.

In the meantime, some players left the company, saying they wanted to live a different life.

Some have left the team and are ‘transferring’ to regular employees within the group.

Yoo Ki-jung said, "When I first came here, I thought that work other than rugby was also important.

I thought it would be helpful in life," and added, "You can't live just playing rugby forever."

He added, "I needed a foundation to cope with the situation where I had to quit rugby.

That's why I came to Ssatman. There are many things I lack, but I'm holding on thanks to the people who help me (at work)."

Last year, during its inaugural season, the Short Man Rugby Team struggled greatly.

In the 2023 Korea Super Rugby League, they lost 6-58 to Hyundai Glovis.

They lost 0-43 to POSCO E&C and 5-59 to Korea Electric Power Corporation.

This year, the gap was narrowed by training for about a year to increase organizational strength and recruiting foreign players from places such as Tonga and South Africa.

In the 2024 Korea Super Rugby League, they proudly advanced to the finals of the third round by defeating Korea University and the Armed Forces Athletic Corps.

In the match against Hyundai Glovis in the third round of the tournament held at Incheon Namdong Stadium on the 28th, they lost 19-54.

Unlike last year, they succeeded in three tries, showing that their power has improved to a level that can compete with existing business teams.

Han Gu-min, who was reviewing a loan but was recently transferred to a sports team, also showed a player's desire to win, saying, "It's a shame we couldn't win."

Gu-min Han, who said he was now used to the pain of living two jobs, said, "I think there are many parts to life other than life as a player.

I wanted to raise my life to a higher level."

He says the reward is greater than the hardship.

Coach Andre Jin (Korean name Kim Jin) said, "The environment of working and exercising at the same time is difficult.

That's why I am more proud of the players."

He added, "The amount of training is inevitably less than that of other teams, but I can't complain.

This is Jtman's culture, so adapt and accept it.

“We have to bring it in,” he pointed out.

At the same time , he showed his fighting spirit, saying, "Hyundai Glovis did very well this time.

We will win within three years."

The head coach of the Short Man rugby team is Coach Oh Young-gil, a Korean resident in Japan who has a long history in the Japanese rugby world.

He is the protagonist of the documentary film '600,000 Tries', which tells the story of the rugby team at Osaka Chosun High School (Osaka Jo High School), a high school for Koreans in Japan in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

Coach Oh encourages the Shitman players, saying that like the Osaka Jo High School rugby team players in the movie, they are taking on meaningful challenges.

Coach Oh said, "Even though training time is limited, the players are doing well.

Our goal was to win one game, but we achieved two wins.

Sometimes the results are good, sometimes they are not, but I think everyone recognizes that we can do it" did.