Getting To Know Bath Back Row David Denton

Total Sport sat down with Bath Rugby number eight David Denton, shortly after the Scotland international's arrival in Somerset, to get to know more about the 25-year-old. Here's how we got on...

Thanks for joining us David. First of all, we're wondering if you have had any form of initiation task since joining the lads at Bath Rugby?

"I haven't had anything yet, I've been safe so far, but i'm sure it will come at some point."

So, how did you originally start playing rugby? What was it that brought you into the game?

"I grew up in Africa, and I actually started playing when I lived in Zambia first of all, before I moved across to Zimbabwe. But everybody does it - rugby is life there. I always wanted to play. My dad played, my uncle played, everybody played, so I've always loved playing rugby and for me to be able to play professionally is awesome."

Growing up, who were your idols in the sport, who you looked up to and based your game upon?

"I'll try to stay away from the stereotypes here, but unfortunately they are the players just because of who they are. Jonah Lomu was a massive one for me. I vaguely remember watching him after the '95 World Cup. Schalk Burger was one who I began to look up to as I got older. Oddly enough Simon Taylor, who played at Bath also, he was a guy who I watched. I have been aware of my Scottish heritage for a long time, and the sorts of Simon Taylor, Jason White were the stand-out back rows for Scotland at the time - some of the great back-rows in Scottish history."

Which club teams did you follow as a youngster?

"To be honest I never really had a club team I followed. Because I grew up in Zimbabwe we didn't really have that club set-up. And then I went to school in South Africa, so I guess I followed various teams - the Stormers for a little bit, but there were no teams I massively supported, so I jumped ship a few times!"

So tell us, if you weren't a professional rugby player, what would you be doing?

"I'd think I'd quite like to give the NFL a shot, American Football you never know. I enjoy watching it and I'd like to see how I'd fare against those guys."

This is a tough one, if you could have won the 2015 World Cup with Scotland, but it meant you had to retire from rugby, would you have done it?

"No I wouldn't do that. The life that rugby has given me is something that I will be eternally grateful for. I get to come into work every day with 40 of my mates, it's something we can't take for granted. In terms of the World Cup, I'd like to say Scotland are going to be there or there abouts for at least the next World Cup and I hope to be involved in that. So, in that case, I'd say I'll give it a shot next time!"

Many thanks to David Denton for taking time to chat with Total Sport. You can next see Denton in action when Bath take on Toulon on Sunday, January 10, in the European Champions Cup.