SAM: WHEN I KNEW IT WAS TIME TO QUIT
FORMER Wales and British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton has revealed the moment he knew he had to walk away from the game.
In July, at the age of 29, one of the game’s modern greats rocked the rugby world with the news that he was hanging up his boots.
He had taken a year out from the game in order to resolve a neck problem and knee issues in preparation for the 14 month runin to the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
But, even before pre-season training, during sessions with fellow-Wales international Rhys Webb, Jonathan Davies and Scott Baldwin, Warburton knew something was off.
Warburton’s reservations were not misplaced and, to his embarrassment, he was unable to perform exercises for the physio and certain lifts in the gym gave him neck pain.
He was even unable to play with his twoyear-old daughter, Anna, on her trampoline because of the pain in his knees, but he continued into pre-season.
“It was quite upsetting,” he told The Times. “It was a Tuesday afternoon.
“We finished our session and we were in a huddle. Some of the senior players and coaches were talking and I remember not being as focused as I should have been, looking at the grass.
“I was just thinking, ‘This is it. I have found that session so hard, what with all the changing of direction. My knees are so sore. Imagine two people now flying into the side of those knees,’ “he says. “‘I can’t do it.’
“I just thought, ‘I am never going to get through 14 months to get to the World Cup.’
“My body just couldn’t cope with the volume of running anymore.”
The announcement came as a shock to most, only a small group of people were told initially and Warburton even completed the training week with the Cardiff Blues.
News of his retirement broke the following week and, rather abruptly, that was it.
Throughout his illustrious career, Warburton has suffered more than 20 injuries, many of which requiring surgery.
Player welfare is becoming an increasingly hot topic as players get bigger, faster and stronger, resulting in more ferocious collisions.
In a bid to address growing concerns, Warburton would like to see the number of games players are allowed to compete in.
“Players in an ideal world shouldn’t play more than 25 games a season,” he said.
“I know it is a vicious circle with the need for enough games to pay wages and the like, but that is my view.
“I didn’t like contact in training, not because I didn’t like tackling, I loved tackling, but I wanted to protect myself so I could be as physical as possible on a weekend.
“You have to look at the clean-outs. You need to protect the jackalers. Maybe say something like the opposition team cannot commit more than two players in a ruck.
“Sometimes you are over the ball and you have got three players slamming into you.
“When you are vulnerable is when you are over the ball and your neck is exposed. That is a lot more of a safety concern for me than where your arms wrap on someone in a tackle.”
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