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How coronavirus has left players like James Hook fearing career is over

By Online Editors
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

James Hook has admitted the coronavirus suspension of the rugby season means he could well have played his last match. 

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The ex-Wales out-half turned out for Ospreys in their February 21 Guinness PRO14 defeat at the Gnoll versus Leinster and hasn’t appeared since in what he has already declared is his last season in professional rugby.

The fear that he has already hung up the boots is something that doesn’t apply alone to the 34-year-old. 

Bath’s Francois Louw, Sale’s Rob Webber and Northampton’s Ben Franks are among the Gallagher Premiership players to have announced they will be retiring at the end of this season, while La Rochelle’s Brock James is one of the prominent Top 14 players also retiring. 

However, there is no firm indication that the season will re-commence any time soon, meaning fans might have already seen the last of a slew of players – including Hook. 

Speaking to Radio Wales Sport about the coronavirus-enforced stoppage having potentially ushered him into retirement a few months earlier than planned, Hook said: “It has crossed my mind.

“When it all first happened you thought it might only last a couple of weeks or a month if that, but whether we will play another game remains to be seen.

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“I might have played my last game and it would be sad when you think about it like that, but there are more important things in life and hopefully this virus will pass without too much damage.”

WATCH: This is what happened when RugbyPass drove James Hook and Shane Williams around the streets of Wales

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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