Nobody knows it, but when I played international rugby I had specific bets that every ten minutes I would miss a tackle. A middleman would come to see me in the week leading up to the games and a syndicate paid me thousands of pounds.
That, your honour, is my excuse and I am sticking to it.
Anyway, this weekend the kicks off with two brand-new Italian teams taking part. And although the Irish teams might be able to manage their international players and keep them for the Heineken Cup - Brian O'Driscoll played eight Magners League games for Leinster last year - the rest of the teams have to play their best each weekend.
In last season's Magners Grand Final there were 14 British and Irish Lions on view. It's a good league.
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What's better, rugby union or rugby league?
I have spent my whole life without having watched TV on a Tuesday or Thursday night because, your honour, they are rugby training nights. If you are rugby people you know what I mean.
Soon, when people ask if I have watched a programme I will be able to say no every day because it's weight training on a Monday and Wednesday night from now on.
The only problem in the old days was missing Top of the Pops and a potential Led Zeppelin, AC DC or Status Quo performance.
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The kicks off in England on Friday. There are 12 teams taking part, with sides like Sweden and Kazakhstan involved. Come on Scotland!
And here's my question: Why will this event be ignored in comparison to the coverage given to women's soccer, tennis, golf, and athletics?
I don't quite get it.
New Zealand will be at this World Cup, as will South Africa, England, the USA, Canada and the other principal Six Nations and southern hemisphere countries.
Some of the players from the richer countries are professional. Go onto and have a look for New Zealand women's rugby and be prepared to be impressed.
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I like multi-sport stadia and do not like rugby teams playing at football grounds. Why should we give the richest sport more money by renting their places?
A long time ago I ran in the 400 metres final at the Glasgow schools athletics championships.
Coming in last, I reflected on the fact that I had told the athletics teacher that I could run the distance a full 10 seconds faster than I could, and that it was the end of the cricket season and I hadn't done any sprinting.
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Why are so good at the bits in between World Cups?
I read a sport psychology paper recently that said the surest way to lose is to put pressure on yourself to win.
If both teams have winning as their goal they can't both succeed; all you can do is scrutinise your performance and maximise that effort instead.
Winning might just happen as a consequence of getting your performance right.
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I was born in Borneo, spent my formative years swinging from the trees, and you might know me as an international rugby player, but now I'm off to London to give you my opinion on all things Olympic as part of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland Sport Nation Olympic team.
