Witnessing the collapse of Yorkshire Carnegie changed Tom Varndell
Tom Varndell never experienced the likes of it before. As the Premiership’s all-time record try-scorer, his career had mostly been about scoring and challenging for trophies at the elite end of the English game with Leicester and Wasps, not slumming it at the wrong end of the second-tier table with Yorkshire Carnegie. The trail of destruction was jolting.
Fourteen matches, fourteen defeats, a shocking points difference of -528, 436 points worse than the second-worst team in the English Championship. If there was a sliver of solace it was that the coronavirus stoppage prematurely put them out of their misery, saving them from further savage punishment in a campaign where the dark days just kept on getting darker. 22-66, 13-66, 0-52, 10-62 and 10-52 were just some of the catastrophic scorelines suffered, a brutal existence that never wavered as their last out was their worst yet, a 26-73 shellacking by London Scottish on March 1.
Now ensconced in lockdown life in Leicester seven weeks on from that final run at Leeds, Varndell has had time to draw breath and put it all in perspective. Set to turn 35 next September, he reckons he is all done a full-time player. It’s not that he still hasn’t a turn of pace or a hint of the old swagger. The ex-England international scored four times in his eleven league appearances. But with the whipping boys now dispatched to the shadows of National 1 for next season and his one-year deal expired, it’s time to focus on his fledgeling new career with Elite Player Management (EPM), the Matt Bressons-led agency that has carved a niche since its foundation.
“That’s me done,” admitted Varndell to RugbyPass. “I made the decision that I wanted to get into sports management two seasons ago and the way it’s going at the moment with how busy I am with this agency stuff, I just don’t think I would be able to give my all to a team. I love the game. I will miss that banter of the team changing room and playing the big matches, but I probably won’t get to play in cup final matches ever again as a player. I’m 34 now and the body, it’s had enough. I think I will play semi-professionally and will carry on training because I enjoy that aspect, but in terms of being smashed and the body aching, that’s me done. The tough year with Yorkshire was pretty much the final nail in the coffin.”
Pointing fingers of blame about the way he is bowing out isn’t his thing. Clear recognition of the various handicaps Yorkshire were trying to cope has taught him diplomacy rather than rancour. “There were times when I was in the car with the rugby coach and players would be phoning in saying they couldn’t do any more because they can’t commit to the travel and the nights because it was affecting their actual work life. It was the first time I experienced that as a professional sportsman where players were having to sack off rugby and training because they have got a job to do and didn’t have that financial support or that ability to get that financial support from the club.
“That was no fault of Yorkshire Carnegie, it was just the situation the club was in. They were losing players because they didn’t have the resources to fund them. Some boys were just getting a match fee. They were doing it basically for the love of the game but even that wasn’t enough because you have to pay the bills, you have to be able to function in your family unit and you have to be able to put bread on the table. It was very eye-opening. It showed how poorly these boys are looked after in terms of their agencies. They didn’t have that support network around them where they could be able to commit to the rugby and also carry out the job they were doing as well.
“You always went out there with the best intentions but I realised no matter how hard we were training we just weren’t getting enough time with each other. We just weren’t getting the numbers. No matter how hard the coaches worked, there were mornings of games where players were dropping out and they were having to call players in from all over. It’s hard to feel any positivity with that. It was hard and there was a lot of dark conversations. It was just tough.
“When you are getting flogged 60 points to nil and you’re trying your hardest and it makes no difference, it’s tough no matter who you are and what experience you had. It was tough but I have to give full credit to all the players and all the coaches. Martyn Wood was there before Phil Davies came in and they have done a fantastic job. They just weren’t given the resources to do the job fully and that is no one’s fault, it’s circumstances.”
It was the sort of grim escapade that should at least stand Varndell in good stead as a sports agent aware of the pitfalls that can exist for lower league players. For 13 and a half seasons, his own career was mostly a Rolls Royce experience. He was adored at Tigers, even scoring the fastest hat-trick in Premiership history as a teenager in 2004 in just his second game. Wasps was equally enjoyable and while Bristol had issues as a yo-yo outfit prior to the Pat Lam rejuvenation, it was another fine place to earn a living.
What followed, though, was a wonder lust of roller coaster proportions. Five games for Scarlets in Wales, five more for French Pro D2 outfit Soyaux-Angouleme. Then came three outings for Championship side Nottingham, an emotional February 2019 Premiership run for Leicester and next to a stint in Hong Kong with South China Tigers. Four countries, five clubs, all in the space of a madcap 15 months before he pitched up in Leeds for one last hurrah. It was a whirlwind that has him well-positioned to assist EPM clients in staying strong during this mentally challenging pandemic suspension of rugby around the world.
The questions have been non-stop the last month or so. “A lot of them are around where am I going to be going next year, or what is happening with my current team, especially the Championship teams. Before coronavirus you had the RFU making the cut in the funding for the Championship so squads had to be cut down and clubs make savings. Some clubs are going part-time and now the coronavirus has hit, it’s even more of a financial burden for these clubs so there are not even in a position to resign boys.
“Normally players at this time of year pretty much know what they are doing next year. Now players still aren’t sure. There is a lot of questions around what options are out there, what clubs are interested, where have you put my CV, am I going to be playing rugby next year, do I need to go and find a job? It’s all about managing those fears really and trying to tell the players we are working, we are trying to put them out to as many clubs as possible, this is what market is opening up at the moment, this is what is not.
“Players just need to know, like with anybody or any industry, so just be honest with feedback. It’s about being honest and making sure players are aware that right now the situation is as it is but we are dealing with this club, we’re dealing with that club. It’s just making they are reassured because everyone is in the same position at the moment. That is what is keeping me busy, managing these players, managing their emotions and trying to keep them safe, making sure boys don’t lose their mind in this situation. There is a lot of panic around… there are so many businesses, not just rugby, that are suffering.
“I do agree there should be a ring-fencing of the Premiership, but the RFU cuts and the corona have highlighted how underfunded the Championship is and how little they actually get. You have players who work very hard. Yes, they may not be Premiership but there are still quality players who are in the top ten per cent in the world in terms of their ability as a player. The number of players that have come through from the Championship and played for England, who are in the current England team, it’s so important and people have to wake up now,” he continued, hoping that how EPM does its business will be a trump card in helping their clients see out this economic crisis.
“I’ve had a long career and one of the reasons why I wanted to go into agency management is to help the next generation coming through, guide them to learn from the mistakes I made. I had agents throughout my career, but you tend to get one agent the same as the next one and I wanted to be a bit different and work for a company that is about the welfare of players, not just sign a contract and see you next season in twelve months’ time.
Sportsmen are not purely dispensable commodities but human beings. Sometimes vulnerable to the vagaries of a ruthless industry #clientsbestinterestscomefirst #platformtomaximiseyourtalents #EPMFamily pic.twitter.com/Tg1EKdMUZx
— Tom Varndell (@Tom_Varndell) April 11, 2020
“I really want to do the all-inclusive sports management stuff and help with the welfare, help with their lifestyle, help with how they manage their money, everything really. That’s really important to me because you do need that guide, you do need that mentor sort of figure in your life whether you’re playing at the top of the game or further down the league. You need someone who will be able to help work with you and help create something special in your career.”
Just like Varndell managed himself. He’s so chuffed that he remains the Premiership’s all-time record try-scorer, 92 tries in 180 top-flight appearances. It’s a mark that will likely fall if Chris Ashton ever gets into the groove at his new team Harlequins – he’s third on the all-time list, six behind the leading Varndell and four in arrears of the retired Mark Cueto in second.
“I’m very proud. As a winger, your job is to score the try. Even scoring for Yorkshire was great, I love scoring tries. To have that record, I wanted to have that record and to finish my playing days as the holder of that record is brilliant. I don’t see it being around for much longer. Chris Ashton might pip it before the end of the next season, but it’s great to have and I will be kicking around the top ten for a few more years. It’s brilliant,” he said, going on to offer invaluable advice to any aspiring poachers wanting to emulate him.
“Very simply, always put the ball down with two hands. Always put it down, and never celebrate before you have scored. The number of times now I have seen a player celebrating before they have scored the try and they don’t score the try, and it always tends to be a crucial try. Make sure that ball is put down and make sure you don’t celebrate before. Poor old Stuart Hogg in the Six Nations is a prime example.
“There was one time (it happened to me). I was playing for Bath academy when I was 16 years old. I celebrated and I put the ball down with one hand. It was raining and I dropped the ball over the line. I didn’t play for Bath academy again…”
Their loss, all things considered.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause
8 Go to commentsNo way. If you are trying to picture New Zealand rugby with an All Blacks mindset, there have been two factors instrumental to the decline of NZ rugby to date. Those are the horror that the Blues have become and, probably more so, the fixture that the Crusaders became. I don’t think it was healthy to have one team so dominant for so long, both for lack of proper representation of players from outside that environment and on the over reliance on players from within it. If you are another international side, like Ireland for example, sure. You can copy paste something succinct from one level to the next and experience a huge increase in standards, but ultimately you will not be maximizing it, which is what you need to perform to the level the ABs do. Added to that is the apathy that develops in the whole game as a result of one sides dominance. NZ, Super, and Championship rugby should all experience a boom as a result of things balancing out. That said, there is a lot of bad news happening in NZ rugby recently, and I’m not sure the game can be handled well enough here to postpone the always-there feeling of inevitable decline of rugby.
8 Go to commentsNo SA supporter miss Super Rugby - a product that is experiencing significant head wind in ANZ - the competition from rival codes are intense, match attendance figures are at a historical low and the negativity of commentators such as Kirwan and Wilson have accelerated the downward spiral in NZ. After the next RWC in 2027 sponsors will follow Qantas and start leaving in droves.
2 Go to commentsLike others, I am not seeing the connection between this edition of the Crusaders and the All Blacks future prospects under Razor. I think the analysis of the Crusaders attack recently is helpful because Razor and his coaching team used to be able to slot new guys in to their systems and see them succeed. Several of Razor’s coaches are still there so it would be surprising if the current attack and set piece has been overhauled to a great extent - but based on that analysis, it may have been. Whether it is too many new guys due to injuries or retirement or a failure of current Crusaders systems is the main question to be answered imo. It doesn’t seem relevant for the ABs.
8 Go to commentsharry potter is set in stone. he creates stability and finishes well. exactly what schmidt likes. he’s the ben smith of australian rugby. i think it could quite easily be potter toole and kellaway for the foreseeable future.
5 Go to commentsThis is short sighted from Clayton if you ask me, smacks of too much preseason planning and no adaptability. What if DMac is out for a must win match, are they still only going to bring their best first five and playmaker on late in the game? Trusting the game to someone who wasn’t even part of planning (they would have had Trask pinned in as Jacomb preseason). Perhaps if the Crusaders were better they would not have done this, but either way imo you take this opportunity to play a guy you might need starting in a final rather than having their 12th game getting comfortable coming off the bench.
1 Go to commentsThanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.
21 Go to commentsWhat a load of bollocks. The author has forgotten to mention the fact that the Crusaders have a huge injury toll with top world class players out. Not to mention the fact that they are obviously in a transition period. No this will not spark a slow death for NZ rugby, but it does mean there will be a new Super Rugby champion. Anyone who knows anything about NZ rugby knows that there is some serious talent here, it just isn’t all at the Crusaders.
8 Go to commentsI wouldn’t spend the time on Nawaqanitawase! No point in having him filling in a jersey when he’s committed to leave Union. Give the jersey to a young prospect who will be here in the future.
5 Go to commentsIt was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
7 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf 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.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
2 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
2 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to comments