What it's Really Like to be a Sports Journalist - Interview with Daily Mail Rugby Reporter Alex Bywater

Second-year student Sam Hill spoke to the Daily Mail Rugby Reporter, Alex Bywater, about his unusual route into the industry, and some of the experience and advice he has from the journey so far.

Despite taking a politics degree at Cardiff University, sports journalism was always the dream for Alex, referencing Champions League nights and writers such as Henry Winter as the spark for the flame that very much still burns today. Football and cricket were the chief interests throughout Alex's life, and yet through opportunity and hard work, Alex now finds himself thoroughly planted in the world of rugby.

" I think it's tempting to put yourself in a box... But you can't afford to do that as a young journalist coming through

"It's such a competitive industry that if you get offered a job in cricket (as an example), you've gotta try and take that opportunity.

"I remember thinking there were so many people that I've met through sort of my stream who just wanna be football journalists.

"And it's like, well, okay, but hundreds of thousands of people wanna do that."

Alex spent time reflecting on various job roles and decisions that led him to where he is today, with nuggets of advice scattered throughout. Remarking towards the end on the one thing he wished he'd known as a young student, was just how hard it was going to be.

Working weekends, producing more and more content and the pressures of rolling deadlines are all things discussed, but despite all of this, Alex remains positive and thankful for the journey he has taken and the job he works in.

"That's something my mom said to me very young. She said, try and do something that you're passionate about and that doesn't feel like work.

 "If I were doing another job, I'd probably be spending all my money going to Six Nations matches and yeah. I'm, I'm working them, but I get to go for free. So I'm fortunate in that, it doesn't feel like a job to me.

" I've never ever been watching the clock, thinking, is it five o'clock on Friday yet?"

The Full Interview can be found below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAVg91Bysww