What is retirement like for players?

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fleabane
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What is retirement like for players?

Post by fleabane »

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Dangerous4
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by Dangerous4 »

I don't see retirement from rugby being different to those in other professions, bar the fact that they will be younger, and go on to find new employment,

After 33 years with the police, I was medically retired. I knew it was coming, but was still shocked when it happened, with no likelihood of starting a new career. I was left with the feeling of being useless.
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by fleabane »

Dangerous4, I thought Haskell’s comment that he had been in an environment where he had a structured life that had started at school was interesting.

Many players don’t have to worry about money, know what is expected from them and what they have to do, have the best medical advice and are generally moddycoddled. Unlike the rest of us. To become (often unexpectedly) retired, with a life they are unprepared, and frequently untrained for, is a shock.

The number of players who have had mental problems is most worrying, and one wonders what the clubs and players organisations are doing to prepare them for life without rugby.

Those of us with more normal occupations at least have the knowledge of when we will retire, and have time to prepare. For them, retirement is more like being made redundant from a dying industry with no expectation of new employment in that industry. There is also, for some, the loss of public recognition and acknowledgement is also difficult to grasp.
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by Robespierre »

Having to stop what you've been used to doing (due to injury or personal choice) for several years and then to reintegrate yourself into the normal world must be tough, especially if you've been playing since u/18 or u/20 rugby without having had a "normal job".

I too, ask the question whether the clubs take on the responsibility of advising and preparing the players for this potentially stressful period. One could say that higher profile players may have less of a problem as they may receive offers of the possibility of becoming a coach, media work or punditry, but lesser known players may need guidance onto the job market.
Players who've come through academies will probably not have university degrees which could give them a springboard into a job.

Sadly, it appears that few players want to become referees, like Karl Dickson who's come on leaps and bounds since he took up the whistle. The game could well do with some experienced front-row forwards as referees, knowing that the wool won't be pulled over their eyes!
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Mark62
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by Mark62 »

Robespierre wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 9:00 pm Having to stop what you've been used to doing (due to injury or personal choice) for several years and then to reintegrate yourself into the normal world must be tough, especially if you've been playing since u/18 or u/20 rugby without having had a "normal job".

I too, ask the question whether the clubs take on the responsibility of advising and preparing the players for this potentially stressful period. One could say that higher profile players may have less of a problem as they may receive offers of the possibility of becoming a coach, media work or punditry, but lesser known players may need guidance onto the job market.
Players who've come through academies will probably not have university degrees which could give them a springboard into a job.

Sadly, it appears that few players want to become referees, like Karl Dickson who's come on leaps and bounds since he took up the whistle. The game could well do with some experienced front-row forwards as referees, knowing that the wool won't be pulled over their eyes!
Nick Wood progressing well up through the referees ranks.

Imagine if Coley took up the whistle, wouldn’t have too many trying to get one over on him
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by Robespierre »

Mark62 wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 9:08 pm
Robespierre wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 9:00 pm Having to stop what you've been used to doing (due to injury or personal choice) for several years and then to reintegrate yourself into the normal world must be tough, especially if you've been playing since u/18 or u/20 rugby without having had a "normal job".

I too, ask the question whether the clubs take on the responsibility of advising and preparing the players for this potentially stressful period. One could say that higher profile players may have less of a problem as they may receive offers of the possibility of becoming a coach, media work or punditry, but lesser known players may need guidance onto the job market.
Players who've come through academies will probably not have university degrees which could give them a springboard into a job.

Sadly, it appears that few players want to become referees, like Karl Dickson who's come on leaps and bounds since he took up the whistle. The game could well do with some experienced front-row forwards as referees, knowing that the wool won't be pulled over their eyes!


Imagine if Coley took up the whistle, wouldn’t have too many trying to get one over on him
Sounds good to me, but he’d probably be knackered after five minutes never having had to run so much!
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by jgriffin »

Brian Clough at Forest made the young lads take qualifications and also do some voluntary work - he told them that 90% of kids in their position never made it professionally, so they had to have a trade. Some clubs do give help and advice (viz Saracens :smt002 ) but of course back in the day Cockers would go back to the furniture trade and Deano nab villains, instead of being one.
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by Mark62 »

jgriffin wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 8:48 am Brian Clough at Forest made the young lads take qualifications and also do some voluntary work - he told them that 90% of kids in their position never made it professionally, so they had to have a trade. Some clubs do give help and advice (viz Saracens :smt002 ) but of course back in the day Cockers would go back to the furniture trade and Deano nab villains, instead of being one.
I remember one of Deanos superior officers once telling me that if there was a rank below Constable he would have just about managed that :smt046

Mighty handy during the miners strike though
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by strawclearer »

Having watched all three in conversation, it was obvious which of the police contingent of Richards, Dooley and Ackford was the Inspector! :argue:
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by BFG »

strawclearer wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 9:09 am Having watched all three in conversation, it was obvious which of the police contingent of Richards, Dooley and Ackford was the Inspector! :argue:
Not sure being good conversation helped much with Mendes!
For all you youngsters not yet out of rugby diapers and who have no idea what I mean just google Ackford Mendes and watch, no HIA required in those days! :smt101
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by Robespierre »

BFG wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 9:45 am
strawclearer wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 9:09 am Having watched all three in conversation, it was obvious which of the police contingent of Richards, Dooley and Ackford was the Inspector! :argue:
Not sure being good conversation helped much with Mendes!
For all you youngsters not yet out of rugby diapers and who have no idea what I mean just google Ackford Mendes and watch, no HIA required in those days! :smt101
Remember it well as I was there! Ackford took a good'un on the chin and fell like a sack o' spuds!!
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Mark62
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by Mark62 »

Robespierre wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 8:15 am
Mark62 wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 9:08 pm
Robespierre wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 9:00 pm Having to stop what you've been used to doing (due to injury or personal choice) for several years and then to reintegrate yourself into the normal world must be tough, especially if you've been playing since u/18 or u/20 rugby without having had a "normal job".

I too, ask the question whether the clubs take on the responsibility of advising and preparing the players for this potentially stressful period. One could say that higher profile players may have less of a problem as they may receive offers of the possibility of becoming a coach, media work or punditry, but lesser known players may need guidance onto the job market.
Players who've come through academies will probably not have university degrees which could give them a springboard into a job.

Sadly, it appears that few players want to become referees, like Karl Dickson who's come on leaps and bounds since he took up the whistle. The game could well do with some experienced front-row forwards as referees, knowing that the wool won't be pulled over their eyes!


Imagine if Coley took up the whistle, wouldn’t have too many trying to get one over on him
Sounds good to me, but he’d probably be knackered after five minutes never having had to run so much!
And yet he still manages an average of 60 plus minutes a game, I would imagine much more than most professional tight heads even though he can’t run
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Re: What is retirement like for players?

Post by strawclearer »

Robespierre wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 11:03 am
BFG wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 9:45 am
strawclearer wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 9:09 am Having watched all three in conversation, it was obvious which of the police contingent of Richards, Dooley and Ackford was the Inspector! :argue:
Not sure being good conversation helped much with Mendes!
For all you youngsters not yet out of rugby diapers and who have no idea what I mean just google Ackford Mendes and watch, no HIA required in those days! :smt101
Remember it well as I was there! Ackford took a good'un on the chin and fell like a sack o' spuds!!
I seem to recall Mr Probyn was the real culprit! :smt027
Happy days clearing straw from the pitch before the Baa-Baas games! KBO
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