'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
Bell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
13 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
13 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to comments