Max aims to follow Blaze’s coach trail
FORMER Harlequins hooker Max Crumpton aims to forge a new career in coaching after seeing his hopes of a lucrative move to France wrecked by injury.
Crumpton, 26, had hoped to make a full recovery from the torn hamstring he suffered during January’s Heineken Cup clash against Bath. Instead, he finds himself searching for new employment after a lockdown nightmare which forced him to quit. Crumpton told The
Rugby Paper: “My hamstring was ripped off the bone but it was one of those where you think ‘Okay, rehab it, get back playing again’.
“Archie White had the same injury and his recovery was fine, but it just so happened the nerves within my hamstring were really damaged. I had two operations but the surgeon said it was too badly affected to repair properly and I’m unable to play again.
“I saw him on June 18 and did tests, but the hamstring was nowhere near where it needed to be. I’d expected to come out of lockdown ready to sort out my future because I had offers in the Premiership and France, but events have conspired against me.
“I was out of contract this summer so it has been a sore one in every sense because I had two really good potential options in the Pro D2, but instead of being in the south of France I’m now looking for new employment and the jobs market has dried up too.”
Crumpton already has some coaching pedigree after helping Jonny Wilkinson’s old club Farnham to promotion from London 2 South West. He will now attempt to follow other early retirees like Wasps forwards coach Richard Blaze into the pro ranks.
Crumpton added: “Richard stopped playing at a similar age to me and has been coaching at a high level for ten years now, so that’s a good example.
“Post-rugby, I was going to try and do coaching anyway and Alex Codling has been a big influence there. In my first year at Quins, he really made a difference to my game and put a lot of hours into me, which showed me what a good coach can achieve.
“He started in schools rugby so that might be an avenue for me, but the difficulty there is that with Covid-19 we just don’t know when school rugby might start again. It could be another six months yet so I’ve just got to try and get my foot in a door.
“I was head coach at Farnham for two years and we finished second in my first season and were promoted this year, but they’ve now taken a financial hit.”
Crumpton added: “It’s pretty tough knowing you had offers and then your career is taken away.
“Harlequins and the RPA are trying to help, but the RPA grants have dried up at the moment and I’ve got a little girl who’s first birthday is next month.
“Whether I can combine coaching with finding a job outside rugby, I don’t know, but I’d love to get into coaching full-time and build from there.”