‘It’s a weird story’: Dietrich Roache’s ‘surprising’ SVNS fairytale
Dietrich Roache’s ascent to Australian sevens stardom is an oddly relatable, candid and passionate tale that certainly has the makings of a SVNS fairytale. Even if it’s just a little bit, every rugby fan will see themselves in this story.
Just like you reading this now, Roache was once a fan of rugby union. After playing league for a couple of years as a teenager, Roache was invited to the 2018 Sydney Sevens by his father.
That enthralling tournament at the Sydney Football Stadium in late January changed Roache’s life forever, with the youngster falling “in love with the sport straight away.”
Roache decided to devote himself to an intense two-year training period in the hopes of one day following in the footsteps of his rugby heroes on the world stage.
Week after week, month after month, Roache worked tirelessly by playing in “every domestic tournament I could.” Eventually, it all paid off.
Just like the great sporting fairytales around the world – like Tom Brady persisting in the face of doubt and scrutiny to win seven Super Bowls or even Eddie the Eagle’s appearance at the Winter Games of ’88 – Roache defied the odds to turn his dream into a reality so soon.
By his own admission, even Roache was surprised with how quickly the opportunity to don the iconic gold jersey of Australia after being offered a contract in 2020.
“My Dad actually invited me to go watch the Sydney Sevens in 2018 and that’s where it started for me. I pretty much fell in love with the sport straight away and I got to work pretty much from there,” Roache told RugbyPass earlier this month.
“It’s a weird story because some people take their whole life (achieve) something like this but I was lucky enough to work hard enough to get an opportunity to sign my first contract at the start of 2020.
“Definitely surprising how quickly it came. In my mind, I was honestly thinking four or five years, and that’s the time limit… hopefully I can make it.
“I got the opportunity quicker than I thought. I was just grateful that I had a great support system that kept me grounded and kept me working hard because I was always told, ‘Once the opportunity comes you better be ready and if you’re not there might not be another one.’
“That was always in the back of my head. I didn’t know when the opportunity was going to come but when it comes I’ve got to make sure I’m ready. I’m glad I was ready.”
At just 22 years of age, Roache has already established himself as a young leader within an Olympic-bound Australian men’s seven side. But the young Aussie is hungry for more.
In a testament to his character, Roache has a relentless determination to not only compete but shine on the SVNS circuit – you can see that every time he takes the field around the world.
Sporting what’s becoming a somewhat iconic black headgear, Roache has a knack of scoring tries for fun and he’s also a hard-hitting defender when called upon on the other side of the ball.
With Roache preparing for his third season, the Aussie is channelling the lessons from a “tough” 2022/23 campaign which saw him fall victim to a notorious sporting plague.
“I’m happy but I’m just probably not satisfied yet. I think I can do a lot more,” Roache added.
“Especially just me comparing my first year to my second year, it’s quite tough to say, quite tough to admit but that second-year syndrome crept in a little bit for me and I felt like I let myself down a bit.
“This third year coming up now for me is just a big one where I really want to go further than I went and I don’t want to be taking steps back. Definitely happy but not satisfied.”
As a debutant who was still very green on the international sevens stage, Roache debuted in Aussie green and gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Australia were beaten by New Zealand and Argentina in pool play, and were knocked out of medal contention in the quarterfinals by eventual champions Fiji.
The “heartbreak” from that disappointing campaign is fuelling the team going into another Olympic year, with the Paris Games waiting patiently on the horizon for the sporting world.
But after a gruelling preseason, and with the new-look SVNS circuit waiting for the 12 best men’s teams in the world, the Aussies are raring to go – and so is Roache.
“It was just a tough preseason. I’m pretty sure we started with 16 players and by the end of it there were just a lot of injuries and that.
“It wasn’t easy what the coaches have put us through, they’ve really tested us physically and mentally, but I think the biggest thing they told us was you’ve got to understand sevens is pretty much putting yourself in a hole and you’ve got to find a way (out).
“The whole preseason, with how hard the training was, the whole mantra was pretty much, ‘Just find a way to get through and we’ll be fine.’ That was what we went off.”
Roache is certainly living his dream. Named in the Australian select squad for the 2023/24 season, Roache will help kick-off the SVNS party in Dubai this weekend.
The SVNS series will also go to Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong China, Singapore and the Grand Final in Madrid.
Roache is already an Olympian and World Series champion, but the opportunity to push for even more accolades awaits.
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments