3 days ago
My retirement warning to Care, Youngs, Cole, Brown and Goode
For more than two decades these players will have thought of themselves, principally, as rugby players and not just because it was their profession. I would bet much that even before they made it to the professional grade they thought of themselves as such. What they now have to accommodate is a different identity and one through which they can find ongoing fulfilment. They have had extraordinary experiences but must now find a new way forward. Coaching, managing, punditry; all might keep some involvement with rugby, but there is nothing like playing.
Another factor they will have to accommodate is that they all played with clubs with very distinct identities. When players assume a role as part of a group, they assume some of the group's characteristics as part of their identity. Clubs with a highly developed sense of locality, such as Leicester Tigers, imperceptibly instil more than just an affinity between player and club. This affects players in a wider sense that is not always appreciated by players until they leave that environment (Hogg & van Knippenberg, 2005) (Turner, 2004).
They need to think carefully about what sort of future career could give them a sufficient challenge and maintain an amended identity, all of which depends squarely on their own personality. Living in the non-sporting world can be frustratingly opaque. There is a thrill in publicly, and definitively, winning or losing a weekly contest – no arguing. I won; you lost. This can become addictive, and its intensity is enhanced by digital and social media. Finding a life that is not boring by comparison is not as easy as assumed.
Financially, all of them should be comfortable by normal standards, but they should note that a past player survey commissioned by the Professional Players' Federation, (in partnership with the RPA, the PCA, and PFA) stated that 52 per cent of respondents reported financial difficulties in the five years immediately after stopping playing. The unfortunate experiences of playing greats such as Lawrence Dallaglio and Phil Vickery evidence that even winning a World Cup is no barrier to financial difficulties.
What players should understand is that what makes them successful at sport does not necessarily lead them to make sensible financial decisions. Bars, restaurants and the like, are more exciting than gilts and longer-term investments but a player's fame is not enough to make a bad investment good. Taking egregious risks might win games; it is rarely the same in finance.
It took me years of struggle, obtaining the relevant diplomas in counselling and psychotherapy, and a master's degree in psychology to understand all this. I salute your outstanding careers and good luck in whatever comes next. Just remember this – men, for a variety of proven reasons, are not good at asking for help when they get into trouble, especially regarding mental health (Schlichthorst et al, 2016).
If you do struggle, there is no shame in asking for help.
