Daniel Etchells: Fretting over the thought of fencing - my first out-of-office assignment for insidethegames

My first out-of-office assignment for insidethegames was always going to be filled with trepidation.

Not even my previous experience of covering Championship football matches for national newspapers on a freelance basis could prepare me for the task of single-handedly representing such a well respected company within the industry as a full-time employee.

Having been told on Monday (September 15), the day from which my contract commenced, that I will be travelling to Liechtenstein in October ahead of January's European Youth Olympic Festival, I knew the dress rehearsal - a trip to the Globe Theatre in London, synonymous with William Shakespeare - to cover an international fencing exhibition match between Great Britain and Germany, had to go to plan, or at the very least somewhere close to plan.

Donning a dark grey suit and my newly acquired insidethegames tie - bright green in colour with pink dots - wasn't entirely comfortable on a scorching hot Thursday afternoon but I had no other choice. Even my landlord expressed his sorrow for me as I set off for Bletchley train station with my hefty bag of journalistic tools hanging over my soon-to-be-sweaty shoulder

My only previous encounters with the sport of fencing had come sitting in front of a television but I was keen to remain open minded and embrace the evening to its fullest. In all honesty, I was primarily concerned about securing the necessary interviews and establishing a secure Wi-Fi connection inside the venue in order to be able to file my copy. The bane of most journalists' lives.

As well as writing this blog and reporting on the event, I was tasked with uploading photos to insidethegames' Facebook page, for which I had been assigned as an administrator. Taking pictures of the action and the venue seemed reasonably straightforward but naming people in captions far less so. The embarrassment of asking an "important looking person" for his or her name wasn't a particularly endearing prospect.

The Globe Theatre in London was a fitting venue for the exhibition ©Getty Images

Not long after arriving, I was introduced to British Fencing Association (BFA) chief executive Georgina Usher, who swiftly agreed to an interview. Sat on a bench overlooking the South Bank of the River Thames, she waxed lyrical about the sport she clearly loved and paid tribute to the BFA's sponsor Beazley, a specialist insurance company, who had put on the event along with many others around London in recent months. It seemed as though my illuminous tie was doing the trick.

"Any event which showcases fencing is fantastic," said Usher.

"For me fencing is such an amazing sport and it appeals to people of all ages. Events of this sort, at such a historic venue with the influence of Shakespeare and medieval sword play, are excellent."

As we strolled back inside, Usher suggested that I have a chat with the BFA's newly-appointed development director, Gabby Williams, to get an alternative perspective on the sport. Soon enough I was thrust into an interview with Williams, whose passion for fencing was evident from the moment I'd asked my first question. Although she made it clear that she had no previous background in the sport, the potential for growth is the biggest attraction in her eyes.

"I'm not a fencer, so the experience and skills that I really want to bring into the role are very much around how to develop sport generally and how best to engage people in sport," said Williams.

"For me that's just making sure that we work with the right kind of partners in local communities where fencing hasn't traditionally been embraced previously.

"So as much as it's important to work with existing fencing clubs, I think likewise it's really important to work with more diverse agencies that can deliver the sport with us."

Two interviews in the bag before the event had barely even begun. Things were going well and they got even better when I was greeted with a full set of bars after logging into the venue's Wi-Fi. I managed to find a suitable vantage point overlooking the action and there were even plug sockets within reach to ensure a battery-less laptop wasn't going to ruin my night.

Germany beat Great Britain 45-34 at the International Fencing Challenge ©Beazley

I may not have got round to trying my hand at fencing as others did during the interval but I still had the feeling that I'd made a firm connection with the sport. From the people that I'd interviewed, I sensed a genuine appreciation simply for the fact that the event was being given media coverage. The realisation that they need us just as much as we need them really struck home and the BFA's retweet of my published article the following day was further evidence of that.

I look forward to tracking the sport's progress in the coming months and years and hope to be given the opportunity to attend many more events of this kind. Having made plenty of contacts, I won't be fretting over the thought of fencing in the future.

Daniel Etchells is a reporter for insidethegames. To follow him on Twitter click here.