As 10 million people across the globe count down the hours to a brand new episode of Game of Thrones, our very own Canberra GoT namesake is busy winding down after a battle on the ice.
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Canberra Brave ice hockey coach Rob Starke spent Sunday afternoon at Phillip Ice Skating Centre, where the Brave unfortunately succumbed to Perth Thunder three goals to one. But spending the night in the cold and leading the boys to battle was a fitting precursor to what will be Game of Thrones hysteria worldwide on Monday (Australian time).
The first episode of the final series of Game of Thrones airs worldwide at 9pm on Sunday July 16 (11am Monday July 17, Australian time).
Starke said he first realised he had the same name as one of GoT's most beloved characters - Robb Stark - about two years ago, when his family at last talked him into watching the global television phenomenon.
Just like the character from fictional Westeros, Rob is the eldest Starke, with younger brothers Sean and Clifford nagging him to watch Game of Thrones for years.
"I finally caught up to the rest of the world and now I can't wait for Season 7," Starke laughed.
"I'm a big fan of Thrones, it's just great entertainment."
According to Starke, a former professional ice hockey player who played across a number of continents before moving to Australia in 2004 to take on coaching, he has always "thrived in the cold".
"Like most people in Canada, I've been skating since I was little, and playing hockey since I was three years old," he said.
"In Montreal, we have about eight months of extreme winter temperatures and only two months of summer.
"I've always enjoyed the winter and when Canberrans complain about -7 I just laugh and say 'you should try -30'!"
Starke, his wife Nicole and two boys Patrick and Benjamin moved to - you guessed it, Canberra's north - in January when Starke accepted the role as coach of the Canberra Brave. He joined the Brave from the Newcastle North Stars where he was aptly dubbed the "King in the North" by media and on social media.
But Starke's two boys Patrick and Ben are more excited about potentially being related to another Starke - a Marvel superhero played on-screen by Robert Downey Jr.
"They're more interested in Tony Stark - otherwise known as Iron Man," Starke laughed.
He said he'll find time for brand new Game of Thrones tomorrow night when the boys are settled in bed.
