'Always have a plan': How players prepare for retirement

“What am I going to do next?”

“Can I make something of myself?”

“Who am I?”

These are some of the questions that arise when a professional athlete has to embrace the idea of retirement. With the dawn of professionalism in women’s rugby, retirement has become a different beast entirely.

While in the past, players combined studying, working, and playing in a more balanced way, in 2026, those who feature in competitions, like Premiership Women’s Rugby, are expected to fully commit to training and playing full-time, with little to no time to pursue other career options.

However, being pro doesn’t mean that retiring will work out differently than for those who have enjoyed a mostly amateur career, as several questions and worries will pop up in the same way or form.

But how have women professional players reacted to the idea of retiring? How have they dealt with the possibility of closing a chapter and embracing the unknown? What have they found out about themselves? And what knowledge can they share with those who one day will face that challenge?

While all are valid questions, let’s start with emotions. Laura Delgado, Harlequins prop and former Spain international, sheds light on how she has been coping with the fact that her life will change completely in a few months.

“For me, it has been like riding a roller coaster,” she told RugbyPass. “There are moments where I feel sad and down because I don’t know what my life is going to be like after retiring, and I ask myself if it was all worth it; and then there are days that I feel excited to embrace what comes next, as I want to give back to rugby what it has given me.”

Delgado, who started as an amateur almost two decades ago and became a pro player in the last seven years, opens up about her fears and worries as she laces up her boots for a final time.

“What I am more afraid of is leaving my rugby family,” she said. “I have no idea what life is like outside this environment, as it has been this way for me for the past 15 years. You can’t just snap your fingers and expect to forget or overcome in a second, even if you plan it wisely.”

But this isn’t unique to Delgado. Former Gloucester Hartpury and Harlequins back-row and Ireland international Anna Caplice shared the same thoughts when she had to retire due to concussion.

“It was sadness more than anything, as due to my situation, I was already thinking and getting used to the idea of retiring. For me, the biggest emotion hasn’t been about the future, but the fact I won’t have the chance to play rugby again.”

Caplice, who had been planning her retirement three years before her last hurrah, believing the transition was easier because she had earned a teaching and coaching degree, which served as a cushion to support a life-changing event.

“The transition to coaching feels natural, as I’m familiar with the environment. Of course, at the same time, it feels different as well. The biggest challenge is the time you have to put into the role, so you have to factor in more time to look after yourself, like doing physical exercise. It has been a bit of a wake-up.”

And while coaching has been a great change of pace, the former loose forward admits there’s nothing like being part of a locker room.

“The best part of rugby is playing alongside your buddies and being part of a team, something I really loved. But as a coach, you can’t be buddies or dance with your players, as you have bigger responsibilities now.”

The same train of thought is shared by Charli Jacoby, who, after a stellar career representing the USA Women’s Eagles, decided to retire and embrace a new stage of her life as a Women’s Club Coaching Officer with Hong Kong Football Club.

However, like Caplice, it was not as easy for Jacoby to say goodbye.

“It is a permanent post-tour blue, because I’m not going back to the ‘tour’. It is over. In my case, I moved out to another continent, I am learning a lot about myself and what’s important for me outside of rugby.”

But on the topic of ‘retirement’, Jacoby feels there is little willingness to discuss it openly, as it is still somewhat taboo.

“I try to talk a lot more lately on my socials, as I don’t think there’s a lot of focus on athletes after they retire,” she said. “It has been hard for me to make the transition, especially because I don’t get to see my friends every day and have to find time to work out on my own. It is a big adjustment. Sometimes I just want to get back in!”

One of the central issues with retirement is adjusting to the outside world and finding a way to support themselves, a worry that persists even as the women’s game is professionalising.

“It also depends on why you are retiring. Sometimes it isn’t financially doable to stay in the game, as how can you play and work full-time at the same time? Some players have families to support, which makes it more challenging,” says the former USA prop.

“I do think, given how the game is progressing, that it will be more difficult to walk away from it willingly. Hopefully, the young players that are playing right now will be paid and taken care of the way they deserve, so they are in a good place when they retire.”

When Jacoby, Caplice and Delgado all embarked on their careers, the professionalisation of women’s rugby seemed like an unlikely dream. That pushed them to gain a degree, find a job or learn a craft that would help them down the line.

As a result, they were able to prepare for retirement, as Caplice attests.

“I definitely agree with the idea of women players being more ready to retire due to how late professionalisation has started for us,” the former Stade Rochelais flanker said.

“One of the hardest parts of playing high-level international rugby was having to work the next day. The standard is different from one country to another, especially when you compare it to England and their professional environment.

“But with professionalisation, and you can see it within the men’s side, they feel a heavy pressure to find something after they stop playing. One of their biggest worries is having to compete for work with 20-year-olds when they are fresh on the job market, being 30.”

However, the professionalisation of the women’s game hasn’t solved every problem.

“It is a double-edged sword, to be honest,” Delgado said. “While women’s rugby is finally becoming more professional, the majority of players can’t live on just that paycheck because it isn’t enough.

“We have barely any time to take a course or a degree, but if we don’t, how are we going to survive when we retire? We need to find answers, because we deserve to retire in peace and without having to feel that our whole world is collapsing.”

Finding a job is one of the main concerns for those involved in the pro game, an issue that has increasingly occupied a central place in the discussion.

One of the most viable career options is to keep working as a coach, administrator, or member of staff. But, in Caplice’s opinion, not enough is being done.

“Look at PWR and how many female coaches are involved with teams,” the former Ireland international shared.

“Just a few are working as head or assistant coaches. Fair enough, you want the right people to take up the job, but what are we doing to make sure that the gap is being closed? I don’t think that we are doing enough to entice women to become coaches.

“It falls to the players’ shoulders for them to become coaches, and that isn’t enough. If you work full-time at the same time you are playing, you won’t have time to take a coaching degree and experience coaching opportunities with development or youth sides.”

Like Caplice and Jacoby, Delgado is transitioning into coaching, and shared the view of Caplice about opportunities for former female players.

“I feel that in the men’s game, it is easier for them to have a shot to start their coaching life, while for us it is much, much harder,” the 53-cap Spain international echoed.

“Yes, it has improved in the last couple of years, but it isn’t enough. I have former teammates coaching for free in demanding environments while working full-time jobs and pursuing degrees. We have to change our ways.”

As for Jacoby, who is also the set-piece coach of Hong Kong China’s women’s team, she wishes only for the unions and clubs to provide the same resources to women.

“You need more female coaches and referees in the game, but we also need more high-performance coaches and referees, whether it is a man or a woman.

“What we need to do is to provide the resources and find the women who want to continue their career in rugby, and give them an equitable chance of being as successful in a high-performance environment.”

At the end of the day, they only demand that more opportunities are made available for former athletes who wish to remain involved in the sport they have called home for most of their lives.

As Delgado states, playing rugby wasn’t a hobby or just an afterthought; it was her life.

“Playing rugby is our identity, and that’s why when we start thinking about retiring, we have to plan it on all levels, especially in what comes down to our minds.

“Yes, I am a person outside of the pitch, but I have been a rugby player for almost two decades. It is who I am. It’s a process of acceptance, which, in my opinion, takes three years to come to terms with.”

For those who might think that Delgado’s retirement timeline is an exaggeration, it isn’t, as Charli Jacoby began preparing for her departure after the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

The former Loughborough Lightning and Exeter Chiefs prop targeted the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup as the final destination of her long career.

“Always have a plan,” Jacoby said. “Just have that plan sorted out. As professional athletes, we know how we want everything to look and how hard we work to achieve that desired outcome.

“So, when things go astray, we ask ourselves what is happening, and that’s why you need to have another plan. The transition from leaving the sporting world to walking into the normal one is mind-blowing.”

The word transition, like retirement, is shrouded in doubt, with players fearing they will be forgotten the day they call it a day and step off the pitch. However, you will always be part of the game.

“You will always be a former player, someone who gave something to the game, and so you will always have a place in the clubhouse and rugby community,” Caplice said. “You are worth a lot after you stop playing, it doesn’t matter in what role or form. Former players need to be aware of it. You will always have rugby.”

The thought of retiring from the professional game will always harbour negative feelings. Still, it can and should also be seen as an opportunity to reinvent yourself and push you to step into another role in a different time of your life.

Players deserve a chance to walk out without being plagued by anxiety, stress and fear.

“I do have to say that a keyword of retiring without any regrets is balance,” Delgado said. “Try a new craft or skill, develop yourself as a person, and think about what comes next after hanging up your boots.

“Give your all to the sport, but at the same time, spend time giving yourself a better shot of excelling in your life. As my parents said to me ‘Your sporting career one day will come to an end’.”