'I said goodbye to the lads and I broke down, blubbed in front of them, couldn't get my words out - I didn't expect that'
James Haskell broke down in tears when telling his Northampton team-mates he is to retire at the end of the season as he faces the “terrifying” prospect of life without rugby.
Recurring ankle and toe problems have severely restricted Haskell’s game time at Franklin’s Gardens and the 34-year-old has decided to end a decorated 77-cap career that began at Wasps in 2002.
Three Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam, and man-of-the-series contribution to England’s 3-0 whitewash of Australia in 2016 feature among the British and Irish Lion’s achievements.
But he admits the greatest challenge of all could be adapting to the lack of purpose that awaits, referencing a character from the film Shawshank Redemption named Brooks Hatlen who is unable to adjust after being released following a 50-year spell in prison.
“I’ve been in this kind of environment since boarding school at eight years old until 34,” said Haskell, whose business interests already include broadcasting, health and fitness programmes and DJing.
This is a day that I thought was going to be a while off, and done in different circumstances, but that is the nature of professional sport.
It’s with a really heavy heart I announce my… https://t.co/29MzEk0b08— James Haskell (@jameshaskell) May 8, 2019
“I’m like Brooks from Shawshank Redemption. I’m not going to hang myself in a hotel but it is like that, missing that structure the whole time. Finding my feet again is going to be really hard. I’m lucky, my wife is amazing, she spotted it coming and I do have good days and bad days.
“I said goodbye to the lads the other day and I broke down, I blubbed in front of them. I couldn’t get my words out. I didn’t expect that. I said to the lads I was just going to say a few words but I just
couldn’t speak and I cried. There are a lot of emotions with it.
“I speak to a lot of players who have retired and they find it hard. A lot of players find it hard. A lot of sportsmen get depression, all sorts of mental health issues. I always talk to my psychologist, I’ve got stuff in place to do that but structure is going to be big thing and I’ve got to find it.
“Making sure I’m up at a certain time, working, training. I’m a workaholic so I’ll never sit back but it’s very hard knowing that one chapter is closing and another one is opening, but you don’t know what it’s going to be.
“A lot of people come up to me and say, ‘you’ll be alright, you’ve done this, it’s impressive’, but it’s as terrifying as if I had never done anything. That’s because I’m a perfectionist and also because I didn’t celebrate all the little moments in my career that I should have done, I always
focused on what was next, how could I be better.
“So many times when we won trophies I’d have a couple of beers but I’d go home so I could get a good night’s sleep, wake up and train the next day.”
Haskell’s international career enjoyed a renaissance with Eddie Jones’ arrival at Twickenham and it was during the opening two years of the Australian’s reign that he played his best rugby for England.
As a mainstay of Jones’ back row, Haskell played the best rugby of his best career as a big-hitting openside who also offered a threat at the breakdown and it was during the 3-0 whitewash of the Wallabies in 2016 that he peaked.
The start of the fitness problems that have ultimately ended his playing career can be traced to that series after a toe injury forced him to miss the final Test, leaving him in daily pain ever since.
Chapeau, @jameshaskell!
A legend of English rugby will hang up his boots this summer – what a career he’s had ??
— Northampton Saints ? (@SaintsRugby) May 7, 2019
“My best games for England were under Eddie Jones,” said Haskell, who identified Brian O’Driscoll as his most dangerous opponent and Richie McCaw as his favourite player. “Eddie out of everyone treated me in a way that got the best out of me.
“He understood that I was a guy who needed an arm around me, needed my tyres pumped up, someone to believe in me and actively want to help me. He did that and I played my best rugby for him and I thank him for that because I never thought I would play again for England after the 2015 World Cup.”
'My first experience of him was when he was the young whippersnapper coming through at Wasps and he was trying to be the new Lawrence Dallaglio. We called him Mini Lol at Leicester'
– @AndyGoode10 reflects on the life and rugby times of the retiring… https://t.co/YxbsrwxLiI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 8, 2019
– Press Association
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments