Perth-born presenter/actor/model Tara Rushton has joined the Fox Sports team for the forthcoming Hyundai A-League season and Perth Glory Online decided it was time to investigate her Glory credentials …
With Perth-born presenter/actor/model Tara Rushton having joined the Fox Sports team for the forthcoming Hyundai A-League season, Perth Glory Online decided it was time to investigate her Glory credentials, get the lowdown on what we can expect in terms of Fox Sports’ coverage this year and most crucially, find out whether she has what it takes to keep Bozza and Robbie Slater in line.
Perth Glory Online: Thanks for chatting to us, Tara.
Would you mind starting by telling us a little bit about your Perth background and affinity with Glory?
Tara Rushton I was born in the southern suburb of Bentley and although shortly after that my family moved to the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, I spent every Christmas school holiday chasing lizards and playing in the sprinkler at my grandparents’ house in Langford.
The majority of my extended family live in WA and I have incredibly fond memories of all of the time I spent there in my childhood, as well as when I visit now and I therefore have a very soft spot for Perth Glory!
I have also spent my Sunday mornings for the past couple of years hearing some of the great stories experienced by my colleague and friend, former Perth Glory midfielder PJ Roberts.
PJ lived with Ljubo Milicevic and has shared some great stories with me about losing teeth in games, his fellow team-mates and the road trips experienced in the early days of Perth Glory.
PGO: So it sounds as if you’re a long-time follower of the world game?
TR: Definitely. I have always loved the game; it-s impossible not too!
Living in the UK on my gap year sparked my passion.
It was hard to avoid being dragged to the pub to watch the match over a cheeky pint.
I lived in the UK for nearly four years and during that time fell in love with Arsenal and their style of play.
Football is also the most popular sport in South East Asia and living in Singapore for the past three years gave me a great opportunity to both watch and cover the Premier League for work.
Fans of the EPL in Singapore are incredibly passionate, they really get behind their clubs and have a strong allegiance to their teams.
I spent many a night at the various supporters’ clubs in Singapore with punters who would chant and cheer as loudly as if they were at the stadium itself.
PGO: In terms of your professional career, you certainly seem to have gained a wide range of experience in a number of different areas.
TR: That’s right.
My career has never been fulltime or professional acting, it has always involved different facets including writing, producing, reporting and of course presenting. From my college and university days, where I studied Journalism and Media, our early assessments involved presenting and producing short news stories and I loved every aspect of it.
I dabbled in commercials and bits and bobs of acting throughout my studies and enjoyed it as a hobby and it provided me with a means to pay my way through college and university.
To be honest, I actually think my acting is completely hit and miss (apologies to past networks that hired me!)
I love reporting and presenting and have just relocated to Australia from a three-year stint in Singapore where I presented for Mio Channel covering the Premier League in a live round-up show, as well as covering travel, lifestyle and entertainment news for their leading cable channel AXN.
PGO: How excited are you about your new role with FoxSports and what are you most looking forward to in the upcoming Hyundai A-League season?
TR: With its outstanding reputation for sports news and coverage, the opportunity to work for Fox Sports covering football and wider sports is truly a dream.
Across the board, the commentators, pundits, producers, writers and crew behind the scenes are not only seriously talented, but passionate about sport and what they do and being surrounded by that on a daily basis is incredibly contagious and motivational.
The excitement and growth of the A-League has really ramped up year-on-year and after such a stellar 2012/2013 season where a new team became Premiers, this season is sure to keep all of us on our toes yet again, with past rivalries revisited and teams such as Central Coast Mariners having to adjust after losing key players.
I can-t wait to see how the rivalries play out this season and what better way to kick off the season than with the clash between Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets?!
PGO: It definitely is shaping up to be another cracker of a season. Can we expect to see you here at nib Stadium on a regular basis?
TR: It depends on my schedule, but I really hope so.
PGO: And last but not least, are you confident that you can keep Bozza and Robbie Slater on the straight and narrow?
TR: The question is, can they rein me in?!
PGO: We like your style, Tara, good luck for the season.
TR: Thanks very much.
Catch Tara on Fox Sports’ comprehensive live coverage of the Hyundai A-League starting on October 11th.
