Apart from the many Japanese tourists in Australia, my first encounter was through racing motorbikes. There has always been a long association with Japan and Japanese things in Australia, so it is difficult to remember the very first. I was, however, always fascinated in Japan, its culture, business success and, of course, the incredible food.

I think you must live life with curiosity about both what is new and what you don’t know. For me, this keeps things interesting, challenging and, most importantly, fun. I have been lucky to be able to live in numerous locations and throughout that time, I have remained respectful as a guest in someone else’s country, which I believe has enabled me to work together with others.

Probably coming to Japan and navigating around the culture and uniqueness of working here. I think people are often surprised and challenged by how different things can be. When I first arrived, I was the only foreigner in the operation; this was not only a huge learning curve, but also incredibly challenging, so I think that the fact I survived that time is one of my proudest achievements.

The next couple of years are going to be a fantastic and memorable time to be in Japan with the Rugby World Cup and Olympics. I want to play an integral part of the future growth and success of the industry for many years to come. In life, I am just happy to be back in this fantastic city.