Fact check: relation to Senator David Pocock, Australian Wallabies Rugby

Since launching my campaign for the European Parliament in Ireland, Midlands-North-West, one of the most common questions voters ask me is whether I'm related to Senator David Pocock, the former Australian Wallabies rugby star who moved to politics in 2021.

As it turns out, there is no provision in trademark law that I can use to stop Senator David Pocock using my name in the business of politics. If people are not satisfied with my own evasion of this fact-checking exercise then they can always contact the office of Senator Pocock directly and see if his response is any more amusing.

Nonetheless, given that we share the same surname, there is a connection somewhere. Is it remote, like Barack Obama's 8th generation connection to Ireland? Or is it more recent?

Another interesting coincidence, while David was born in Zimbabwe, I had a housemate from Zimbabwe during my studies at the University of Melbourne.

We both enjoy a bit of sport but only David represented Australia in any serious capacity. David is well known for rugby while I have a tendency towards endurance sports like running, rowing and cycling. Looking forward to the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Irish after-parties are guaranteed to be unbeatable even if we don't win as many medals as the big countries.

That is me on the left running the Melbourne Marathon. David is on the right.

In 2019, David attracted some controversry in relation to the Rugby Code of Conduct. More recently, he has been laying down the law about Codes of Conduct for lobbyists in the Parliament. I've gone to some lengths to demonstrate how corporate bad actors have used amateur-hour Codes of Conduct to push volunteers into modern slavery. As David explains, the Codes of Conduct should work the other way around to regulate the poor behavior of corporations who have been far too close to the Debian Suicide Cluster.

David and I are both competing as independent candidates so neither of us has a political party. Sharing the same name does not imply any other affiliation. Nonetheless, if Ireland, Midlands-North-West chooses me for the European Parliament then David will certainly be invited to the party after I'm sworn in.

With David now occupied with politics on a full time basis, which Pocock got behind Australia's defences at the team camp in Saint-Galmier during the France 2023 Rugby World Cup?

A spy for the British team arrives at the same time. Who will get get closer?

A look at the main entrance security:

Security at the back of the camp consists of a moat:

and foot patrols...

Well and truly inside now, looking at the main gate from behind. Did somebody replace the Australian flag with the European Union flag, in other words, the same flag that has been banned from Eurovision?

Finally, alongside the marquee that was erected for fitness training.

Skyline of the village, viewed from entrance to the camp.