I was very lucky when I was younger: Mum and Dad took us to some great places. Our first big holiday away was to Orlando, Florida. We went to Disney World, which was brilliant. Then, in 2005, Dad [the former England coach Mike Ford] coached the British & Irish Lions in New Zealand, so we got to go out as well. I went to Wellington and Auckland and saw the last two Test matches. I remember we went up the Auckland Sky Tower and on a racing boat in the harbour, too. But, even as a 12-year-old, I wanted to be out on the pitch with the Lions.
When I was a year old, we lived out in Australia, in Brisbane, as Dad was based there. I obviously don’t remember too much about it, but after that New Zealand trip in 2005, we bolted on a couple of weeks in Australia and went to visit all the friends Mum and Dad had made. The country’s massive. I loved it. We went to Noosa, just north of Brisbane, and hung out on the beach.
I got a chance to go back when England toured there two summers ago — three and a half weeks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It was pretty cool, and it went well for us on the pitch, too. Eddie Jones [the England manager, who was born in Australia] gave us a bit of time off. He felt it was important for us to get out and explore. The Aussies are all right. They’ve got good banter — and the fans really get into it.
Getting away on holiday is hard for a rugby player. It’s a long season, during which you might get a few days off. Summer tours are usually in June. So you have July and perhaps a week off in August to try to do something.
Last summer I went to Murcia, Spain, where Mum and Dad have a villa. It’s just a couple of hours away and offers the chance to get a bit of sun and play golf at La Manga, which is close by. I’ve been there with my England teammate Jonny May. He’s a good lad, May. He likes a laugh and can enjoy himself, but he’s got his head on when it comes to rugby.
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I’m pretty bad at switching off. If I’m away for a week, I’ll still end up doing three or four gym sessions. I’d feel guilty otherwise. We do so much training, stopping feels weird.
I played for Bath before moving to Leicester Tigers this season and was in a flat in the city, so I got a chance to experience all the attractions — the thermal spa, the cathedral. It’s beautiful. My girlfriend’s family still live there, so we go back a lot.
But Leicestershire’s great, too. I live in a village outside Market Harborough and we like to drive into the countryside and have a nice walk with the dog — Rutland Water, Oakham, those sorts of places.
I visited South Africa as a schoolboy international. I remember playing South Africa schools in Kimberley, an old mining town in the Northern Cape. It was the middle of nowhere. It’s a great place, South Africa, and they go mad for their rugby, that’s for sure. Everywhere we went, kids were playing the game. They’re a nation of ginormous people. I remember turning up and seeing the lads we were due to play against. It was like adult rugby.
I’d love to go skiing at some point. I sometimes feel as though I’m losing out, not learning to do it while I’m young. But I don’t get frustrated. I absolutely love what I do. I get the chance to do some unbelievable things, travelling the world — and with a great bunch of lads.
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George Ford, 24, plays fly-half for England and Leicester Tigers. He was born in Oldham and started playing rugby at 11, making his professional debut at 16 — the youngest player ever to do so in England. He played in every match of England’s 2016 Grand Slam and starred in the 3-0 series victory in Australia that summer. He lives in Leicestershire with his girlfriend, Jess Portman, and their dog, Bailee
