Wayne Falvey is the marketing manager at the Mardyke Arena, UCC. In today’s ‘My Weekend’ he tells us how he likes to spend his down time
UCC Mardyke Arena
Wayne Falvey, Marketing Manager Mardyke Arena UCC
Pic: Brian Lougheed
TELL us a bit about yourself and your involvement in sports?
I’m originally from Killumney, Ovens. I have recently moved back to the area with my girlfriend, Bernie. It’s great to be close to home and to be able to pop in to see mum and dad —Marion and Richard — and enjoy home comforts so easily. I have only one sibling, Sarah, who lives in Dublin and works as a solicitor.
I currently work as marketing manager at the Mardyke Arena,
University College Cork. I’ve been fortunate enough to be working there for over four years now. It’s an exceptional place to work, given the world-class facilities and the friendly staff.
I originally studied quantity surveying in CIT but due to the economic downturn at the time I had to look to reskill. I decided to do a Masters in Management and
Marketing in UCC, a decision that has turned out to be an excellent one as I really enjoy working in that area.
Rugby is a big part of my life and my parents have been extremely supportive throughout the years.
I started playing with the Under 9s at Ballincollig RFC and left when I was 16 to go play schools rugby with CBC Cork.
From there I went on to UCC, winning the U20 All-Ireland Cup.
Over the next four years I played on the university senior squad that gained promotion to Division 1 of the All-Ireland League in 2010/11.
Following UCC, I played for a season with Clonakilty RFC and played with Highfield RFC for three seasons.
In the past I have represented my province at Munster Youths and Munster Schools U19s as well as representing my country with the Ireland Colleges and Ireland Universities teams.
I’ve been head-coach with the Munster Women’s Senior Team for the past two seasons and have also taken up a player/head-coach role with Ballincollig RFC this season.
With Munster we won the Interprovincial Cup in my first year and retained the cup this year,
beating Leinster in the final game of the campaign in Thomond Park in September.
We are currently planning for the season ahead and we will start back up with a screening day at the end of the month.
Going back to Ballincollig RFC was always something that I wanted to do since I left, and I was delighted to take up a coaching role with them this season.
We have been putting the right structures in place in the club over the past few months and we need to cement those in to help players develop and to insist the club progresses over the next few seasons.
Coaching is something I’m very passionate about and really enjoy. Although I helped out doing the odd training session here and there throughout the years, it was only when I played with Highfield RFC that I started to really get involved.
In my second year with Highfield RFC, Eugene Carley, the Club President, and Cormac Mahony, the Club Chairman, asked me would I be interested in getting involved with the J2’s and I said yes.
“I took over as head-coach that year and we won the Munster Cup. It has all progressed from there. I went away to gain my coaching badges and I’m now IRFU Level 2-accredited.
I recently undertook the IRFU tutor course which will involve assisting with the delivery of courses to coaches both provincially and nationally in the months to come.
I’m looking forward to progressing further now in 2016 as a coach and, hopefully, there will be a few more opportunities presenting themselves.
What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?
Usually, on match weekends, I would head to the cinema or go out for dinner.
On a free weekend I would head out on the town and would more than likely end up in Rearden’s.
Do you like lie-ins or are you up with the lark?
I prefer lie-ins but unfortunately don’t get enough of them.
Does work creep into your weekend at all?
I would mainly work in the Mardyke Arena from Monday to Friday. On occasion you would have events at the weekend or deadlines that would have to be made, which would require you to work at weekends.
Fitness is obviously important to you. What’s your advice to anyone thinking of turning their life around for 2016 and getting fit and healthy?
The best advice I could give is to plan and prepare. On Sundays I would plan my week ahead and see when I can get to the gym to exercise, whether it’s before work, at lunchtime, or after work.
It’s important to make time to get fit and healthy — if you put one hour a day aside to exercise, that’s just over 4% of your day.
Nutrition is crucial to getting healthy. The saying ‘you are what you eat’ is true. When making dinner, I tend to prepare my food for the following day — make sure to plan and prepare your meals.
Sport is also a big part of your life — does it play a big part in your
weekend too, from a playing/
training/spectator point of view?
99.9% of the time it would. If it isn’t a match, it would be a training session, or going to games to identify new players that would have the potential to come into the set-up, or reviewing the performances of existing players.
I like to attend Munster and Ireland games when I can with family and friends.
I’m looking forward to heading to the Ireland-Wales Six Nations’ game with dad in February.
I enjoy all sports and would attend other sporting events, when possible.
If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?
I would be happy to get away to any European city and go with my girlfriend, Bernie. We’ve only recently went to Krakow for a few days and it was fantastic.
Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries?
Definitely would have to be Kerry. Usually it would be Killarney, walking the Gap of Dunloe, Torc Waterfall, or Muckross, or Dingle, taking in Inch Beach.
Do you like to catch up with family and friends at the weekend?
Who doesn’t? I would always try and make time to meet up with family and friends, some weekends can be more difficult than others depending on where matches, training sessions, and courses are taking place.
Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator?
Besides going to games, I enjoy going out golfing during the summer. I would usually play in Lee Valley Golf Club with my father, who was President of the club in 2015.
Do you like to entertain or be entertained? If it’s the latter do you have a signature dish?
I prefer to be entertained. Although I do a good bit of cooking myself and sometimes get the better of myself after watching Come Dine With Me.
It never usually works out as it’s supposed to. My signature dish would be spaghetti bolognese — can’t go far wrong.
We have so many places to eat out in Cork — where are your ‘go-to’ spots for coffee, lunch or a special meal?
Café Serendipity for coffee — they do a great breakfast there; The Natural Foods Bakery Café in Fitzgerald Park for lunch; and the Cornstore for dinner — they serve the best steak in Cork!
Sunday night comes around too fast. How do you normally spend it?
Sunday nights are usually spent on the couch. The week always tends to be very hectic, so I like to relax and catch up on some TV.
What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning?
At 7.30am. I would usually get in to work for 8.30am.