This article originally appeared in Tah Time, the Waratahs official matchday programme. 

When he’s not playing or training for the Waratahs he’s studying to become a medical doctor. Welcome to the world of 21-year old Tahs prop Tom Robertson.

TAH TIME: A prop, a tighthead at that, doing a medical degree! How did that all come about?

TOM ROBERTSON: I was doing a medical science degree at Sydney Uni last year and playing footy there. I applied for medicine, got in and then the Waratahs came calling and wanted to work me into their squad. I didn’t want to waste three years of my life doing an undergraduate degree, get into medicine and then say no at the last hurdle. I’m doing both now so that’s where I am at.

TT: I would imagine that time management would be something that you have got your head around by now?

TR: Yeah I don’t have time for too many hobbies and stuff like that. I’m either training, playing or studying but I can’t complain about it. I love training and I love studying so it hasn’t been that hard. As they say if you love what you do you won’t work a day in your life.

TT: Run us through a typical week in the life of Tom Robertson?

TR: Well there’s a full day of training with the Waratahs on a Monday. Full day of training again on the Tuesday. I’m off at a hospital on a Wednesday then there is training on a Thursday morning and practical classes on Thursday afternoon. Captain’s run is on the Friday, play Saturday and then study on a Sunday. All around that I work in other bits of study so it’s pretty full on. Sleep’s an important part of all this too so I try to get a good nine hours a night as I don’t tend to operate that well without those nine hours.

TT: What’s the hardest thing for you at the moment. Is it the study or the Rugby?

TR: The footy’s probably the hardest thing at the moment because I have been starting lately so I’ve been keen to add my bit to the team there. The body’s been feeling the consequences of that so the study has been taking a bit of a back seat.

TT: How do you cope when you are away on a tour with the course load?

TR: I take my laptop and some books and try and keep pace with things. Where we stay generally has pretty good internet and so I can do all my lectures on line so it wasn’t too bad.

TT: Have you been surprised at how quickly the Rugby thing has come on this year?

TR: At the start of the year my goal was to get on at some stage off the bench so I could say that I didn’t waste my time at the Waratahs. So to come off the bench against the Highlanders and to get a starting spot a few weeks later was just unbelievable. Definitely didn’t expect it at the start of the year but it’s been great.

TT: What are your goals in rugby and have they changed in recent times?

TR: No I’ve just been concentrating on playing some good footy each week for the Waratahs. Keep my head down and start each week and make a positive contribution to the team.

TT: There are always people in the background who help along the way. Who have those people been?

TR: My Mum (Karen) and my Dad (Steven). My Mum has dinner ready for me when I get home each night from uni or training, she’ll do my washing and all the little things that add up to making what I do doable. What she does means that I can get an extra half an hour of study in or an extra 30 minutes of sleep which means I can better myself at footy or the study.

TT: I saw some pics of you playing the Australian Under 20s in NZ with Sean McMahon online earlier. Who else was in that team?

TR: There were a few guys in that team who are around at the moment – Jim Stewart, David Horwitz, Matt Sandell, Andrew Kellaway. There’s a few of the guys that were in that team.

TT: A try on your Super Rugby debut’s not a bad way to kick things off. Talk us through that?

TR: I got on the field with 18 minutes to go. There was a lineout, I was at the back and Jed Holloway managed to strip the ball off the Highlanders and I was lucky enough to be there, picked it up five metres from the line and scored. Some of the TV commentators said I might have been offside but I’ll still claim it as a legal try.

TT: The Kiwi teams are setting a good pace this year in Super Rugby. What did the team learn from the game against the Crusaders in Christchurch?

TR: I think that the better teams in Super Rugby take just about every chance that you give them no matter how small. We gave some opportunities to the Cheetahs and the Bulls and they didn’t capitalise but against the Crusaders especially in those first 20 minutes we slipped a bit and they jumped out to 17-0 lead. You just can’t give any of those New Zealand a sniff or they’ll take it.

TT: I suppose you have noticed a difference to the way that Kiwi teams scrum to the South Africans?

TR: The South Africans are much bigger boys so they like to keep the ball in and try for the scrum penalties whereas the Kiwi teams like to get good front foot ball and start playing with it. It’s definitely been a challenge to adapt to the different styles so we’ll see how we go tonight against the Chiefs.

READ MORE: Returning Waratahs could crack open tight Shute Shield season