'When I left I had just over 20 caps. For me, I look back on that and that's p*** poor'
Former Ulster hooker Niall Annett has urged young Irish talent to look abroad for contracts rather than be satisfied with bit-part roles as part of wider provincial squads in the PRO14.
Annett won 20 caps for Ulster before recognising that he was on the verge of being “spat out” of the Irish professional rugby system. His decision to join Worcester Warriors, who were then in the RFU Championship, has paid dividends, with the 29-year-old having now amassed over 100 caps for the side, the vast majority coming in the Gallagher Premiership.
Speaking on the Telf Rugby Podcast, Annett said he hoped that other young players in the Irish system followed his path instead of resting on the glory of the odd senior cap.
“Do I feel regret that I’ve had to leave Ulster? Yes, because I’m Ulster born and bred. I’m very passionate about Ulster, even now, when I’ve left,” Annett told the podcast. “Have I grown as a person for having to leave? Undoubtedly. Life’s very easy when you’re in Belfast.
“I’ve had to struggle since I left Belfast, which has done me a huge amount [of good] as a person, but also as a player. As a player I’m better than I could have ever been had I sat at home and waited.
Honoured and privileged to join the 100 club at @WorcsWarriors : the club has given me so much. Thanks for all the kind messages. We go again ?? pic.twitter.com/J4lok0TOul
— Niall Annett (@NiallAnnett2) March 16, 2021
“In pro sport you get offered things once. If you’re very, very, very lucky, you get offered it twice. At the time that I was offered something I wasn’t ready or mature enough to take the opportunities that I had to.
“I feel very settled with the decision I made because if I hadn’t have left I would have been spat out of the game.”
“I would have been playing All Ireland League rugby, which wasn’t good enough for me.
“The thing that you need to be conscious of is that when you make that decision, I had reached a ceiling in the All Ireland League. I was getting the occasional game for the Ravens as it was back then, or the Ulster A I think it is now. I was getting even less appearances for the senior Ulster team.
“When I left Ulster I think I had just over 20 caps. For me, I look back on that and that’s p*** poor, but that’s just my mentality.
“When you reach the point where the rugby that you’re playing no longer serves its purpose, and I’m in no way having a crack at the All Ireland League or the lads I played with, who are good mates at Belfast Harlequins, who I chat to and who any time I’m home, I go and see. When I made my decision that I was going to be a professional rugby player, and I had reached my ceiling there, the decision was easy for me.
“Had no more to do there without being given guaranteed quality game time at a higher level.
“So when you’re handed that opportunity and given that decision, you’ve got to back yourself, and I want to see more people make the brave decision to leave for good clubs in England.”
Annett had some direct advice for young players stuck in academy contracts with only faint prospects of progression within a provincial set-up.
“You have to acknowledge where you are. You can’t live in fantasy world anymore. I could easily have stayed at Ulster and could easily have been rocking around Belfast going ‘I play for Ulster’, wearing all my Ulster tracksuits and living in fantasy land.
“But the reality is you have to decide ‘Is this something I want to do’ and ‘where do I want to take this?’ To a 20-year-old two to three years on an academy contract, I’d say ‘What’s your progression path? What does your ideal scenario look like and how do we work towards it?’
“Mine was always to play for Ireland, which now looks dead and gone.
“I want to see more people being brave. I don’t want to see Niall Annett from seven years ago playing in the All Ireland League anymore. He’s playing but he’s actually regressing as a player. I want to see him playing in the Championship, where I got my head kicked in for a full year. But it was the best thing I ever did because my progression went from being a gritty, Ulster A player who can do a job for the seniors to being a professional, playing at Worcester in the Premiership.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
51 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
51 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
51 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
51 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
51 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
51 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
51 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments