Age 30, I felt ready for the ‘real world’
ALOT OF players find the transitioning phase from the professional game to ‘the real world’ challenging, and understandably so. For me, however, by the time I was 30 I felt more than ready to put the financial planning qualifications I’d gained to good use.
I’d come to the stage in my career, despite being relatively young to retire, where it was time to put my family front and centre of my life. Uprooting them again to move to another club just didn’t seem the right thing to do, plus I’d grown frustrated with my rugby career not moving forward as I’d have liked.
It was time to take control of my own future, not rely on the decision of a coach as to whether they wanted me or not.
Despite the frustration, I count myself very lucky to have played just over 200 first-class games at three great clubs in Gloucester, Exeter – effectively my home town team – and finally Harlequins, as well as learning so much and making so many friends from the game.
The dressing room banter is definitely something that makes me smile when I look back on the 12 years I had as a pro. Andy Hazell and Will James were always a good combination to have in the changing room at Gloucester, and I liked changing next to Don Armand at Exeter. He was neat and tidy and, being big, he always managed to intercept balls flying towards my head in the endless games of changing room cricket we’d have.
Ryan Lamb, who once made up a story about me which led to the nickname ‘Cheese’ and Danny Care, as you’d expect, were also very sharp. Lamby was brilliant to play with at half-back in my early days as an 18/19-year old at Gloucester. He is so vocal and tells players around him what to do.
Game management is something you are still learning at that age and he was a big help in that respect, as were the coaches Dean Ryan and Bryan Redpath, who told me not to worry about that side of the game too much and to just concentrate on what we’d worked on in the week. They looked after me really well.
I was a member of the South West Academy, but Exeter couldn’t offer Premiership rugby back then, so when the chance to join Gloucester came up, at the start of the 2007/08 season, it was too good an opportunity to turn down. I went there as effectively the fourth-choice scrum-half but knowing that I might get some games while the World Cup was on because Rory Lawson and Gareth Cooper were likely to be away with Scotland and Wales.
Sure enough, I made my debut coming off the bench against Worcester as a replacement for Mike Prendergast at the end of September and then, a short time later, I started against Bristol. It was the first time I’d played under lights, and the atmosphere, as you can imagine for a local derby at Kingsholm, was amazing. We won with a bonus-point and I gave a good account of myself – once I’d worked out to steer clear of Alfie Tooala!
In my second year at Gloucester
I got to play for England in the Junior World Cup in Japan. I think I got there on past reputation because I’d missed most of the second half of the season after breaking my leg in January. I was only about 80 per cent fit and, in hindsight, I shouldn’t have gone but at that age the chance to play for my country wasn’t something I was going to pass up.
In the final against New Zealand, I came off the bench and scored a try- a real sniper’s effort from two metres out – but sadly we lost. It’s amazing to see how many of that England side have gone on to win 50+ caps: Ben Youngs, Joe Marler, Courtney Lawes and Jamie George. And I was really chuffed to see Ben Moon, a former team-mate of mine at the Chiefs, get capped a couple of years ago.
After that, opportunities at Gloucester were limited, either through injury or selection. Nigel Davies came in and really didn’t rate me. It was definitely time to move on. I’d heard Exeter were interested and the chance to return to Devon was a selling point. Once I’d met Rob Baxter, my mind was made up. I liked the way he said he wanted to play the game and he made me feel valued.
Winning more than losing helped make my time at Exeter very enjoyable. I played in the Premiership final defeat to Sarries but didn’t feature in the win against Wasps as I was out injured again, this time with a torn meniscus. There was so much determination within the group not to miss out again, and that served as a big motivator. Even though I wasn’t involved, I was really chuffed the lads got what they deserved.
Harlequins was a bit of a mixed bag. It was great to train and play alongside Danny Care; some of the things he does in training are outrageous. Under John Kingston I got a fair bit of game time but Gussy (Paul Gustard) had a different opinion and the second year there was frustrating.
Coaches are paid to make decisions and I understood his, although I didn’t agree with it. He didn’t play me much but I have to say he supported me really well off the pitch, both from a personal and development point of view. He is someone who understands the importance of having a ‘Plan B’, and actively helped me, and others, to press on in other areas. He’s a good role model for other coaches in that respect.
While Harlequins was my last club as a professional, I’m still enjoying my rugby on Saturdays, in National One with Rosslyn Park. It was Danny Care who introduced me to them and I’m glad he did. It means I’m still getting to play to a decent standard but without all the other stuff that goes with being a full-time player.
“I’m enjoying it at Rosslyn Park without the stuff that goes with being full-time”