TGt Meets... Kane Palma-Newport

Ahead of the 2017/18 campaign, we caught up with our very own Bath-born tight-head prop Kane Palma-Newport to talk about the challenge ahead, personal goals and superpowers. We're proud to be sponsoring Kane for another great season!

How has pre-season been ahead of the 2017/18 season? Training and away fixtures must have been pretty gruelling.
We have worked hard to make sure our away form is as good as our home form and we saw that with a huge first win at Welford Road, our first in 14 years. Pre-season is always going to be tough, we have a lot of work to get through and it's this fitness and strength work that sets us up for the year.

Bath Rugby just missed top four last season, what are you hoping to achieve as a team this year?
Like every team we are aiming to win every game we go in to. I believe we have the squad to go all the way. The Premiership is an aim of mine personally and I think we can do this.

Are there any personal goals you’re hoping to hit this season?
I ended last season on 85 games and would love to hit 100, but realistically I'm up for contract and would love to stay, so it's about earning another few years of work at the club I love.

You started the first game of the season against Leicester, that’s got to feel pretty good. What does Todd expect from you from the first whistle?
Todd expects my set piece work to be up to scratch and to make sure I know my roles. We've worked hard on line speed defensively and kick chase, so expect to see me sprinting up and down the pitch (slowly) at times.

The team reached the semis in Europe last year, do you think there’s a real chance for silverware this season?
I really do. I'm an eternal optimist and believe our squad is fantastic.

How are the new signings settling in? What do you think fans can expect from Freddie, Sam, etc.?
For Freddie, controlling the game and bringing the love and commitment other local lads bring and for Sam, work rate and his ability that brought him into the England fold.

You’re not back in front of The Rec faithful until Round 2, what makes the Bath fans so special?
Mainly it's the locality of The Rec, the local fans and the fact that the club is a huge part of the city, it's a huge privilege to be a part of it.

What do you like to do to relax when you’re not training or playing rugby?
I tend to game a lot. My partner recently moved in, so she's trying to get involved in on the action but it's a bit of a love triangle at the moment. Apart from that, watch a lot of tv series and go eat cake and tea at many of the great cafes we have.

Where’s the best place in Bath for 1. a Pint, 2. a Coffee and 3. Date Night.
For a pint you'd usually find me in town somewhere, not too showy, I like Pig and Fiddle and The Adventure Cafe in an evening, for a coffee, you'd usually find the boys at Society on Kings Mead Square which is lovely, but I like Jacobs, it's under the Abbey and the outside bit you can relax and people watch with a lovely slice of cake. And for a date, I enjoy Turtle Bay for food, and then a few drinks in a bar somewhere.

If you had one superpower, what would it be?
I'd like to be able to teleport anywhere I wanted, I'm not a big fan of travelling and there would be nothing better than thinking, "I’d like to be home now" and then being sat on my sofa with a cup of tea!