'They make you feel like you're part of something, but at the end of the day, it's just a business'
Playing for Glasgow Warriors meant more to Rory Hughes than a job – it was about representing the city of his birth and the culmination of a belligerent determination to make it in rugby, despite coming from a town entrenched in one of football’s biggest rivalries.
When Hughes received word, then, that there would be no place for him at Scotstoun in the Danny Wilson era, he was gutted, and the Scotland internationalist is among a long list of professional players whose careers have been plunged into uncertainty by the Covid-19 pandemic.
While his search for a new employer continues, Hughes spoke to RugbyPass and looked back on his time at Glasgow, and his spell on loan at Leicester Tigers.
“I loved playing for Glasgow,” he said. “I spoke to Danny Wilson on several occasions and just asked him for his thoughts, because I wanted to stay at Glasgow.
“He told me that he wanted to keep the homegrown players, but that he’s got no budget for me.”
Hughes was never a regular in the Glasgow side under Dave Rennie, and straight-talking Hughes singled Rennie out for some scathing criticism.
“They make you feel like you’re part of something, but at the end of the day, it’s just a business.
“I believe that once you’re in the circle, you believe in everything they’re telling you and you mold yourself on and off the pitch for this culture and the ‘Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior’ attitude.
“If you’re out of the circle, you’re just left on your own.
“Another problem for me was keeping fit. I came through, got in the team and won Scotland caps, then got injured so I had to start again and find my feet there.
“Dave Rennie and I definitely butted heads at times. I’d go and ask him questions, and he’d say one thing but do another and I’d go and pull him up about it, and he’d just talk shite to my face.
“It was a kick in the balls – you get so angry that you think ‘what’s the point in being here’ when you’re getting treated like that.”
By the time Hughes went on loan to Leicester Tigers in January, his relationship with the new Wallabies boss had totally broken down.
“I didn’t really care what he had to say and I didn’t respect his opinion, and probably vice-versa.”
While Hughes admits he’d have jumped at the chance to sign for Danny Wilson’s Glasgow Warriors, he was stuck when asked if he’d have played for Rennie again.
“I’d go back to Glasgow because that was my city and my club, but would I go back if Dave was still there? I don’t know the answer to that.”
A loan spell at Welford Road followed, but Hughes only made four appearances before that was cut short due to the suspension of the season. That wasn’t without its frustrations for the four-cap wing, whose last international appearance came in Scotland’s 2017 win over Australia in Sydney.
“You could see why they were struggling,” he added. “The training was pretty poor and, being around all the coaches I’ve worked with, we’ve always done a lot of skills work, and when I went down there, there were some boys who were just battering rams.
“I thought it was all quite biased to the starting team, so you don’t get too much training out of it unless you’re in that team.”
Hughes also made headlines during his spell at Welford Road for a profanity-laden Instagram video, for which he has since apologised.
“If people come and have a chat with me, they’ll know that I’m not that type of person. I think people would’ve seen that video and thought ‘what a dick’, but I’m not – the video was taken out of context and I’ve apologised for it.”
Not required by Leicester to finish the Gallagher Premiership season, and with Glasgow Warriors unable to keep him on, Hughes admits there have been some difficult days during the pandemic, but he’s trying to keep optimistic.
“It has been tough,” he continued. “Some days you are buzzing and you think ‘right, I’ll make something of this day’ but then you think ‘what’s the point? I’ve got nothing else to do’.
“Being part of that rugby bubble for so many years, and then just not being part of it anymore, sometimes you feel lost and you don’t have a purpose, so it has been tough.
“Everybody goes through it, it’s just shite sometimes.
“I try and talk to a lot of people – friends and my family – and that really helps for a bit of reassurance that things will work out, it might just be a new life.”
“If I couldn’t do rugby then what was the point in me being here… it got to the stage where my partner at the time was terrified of coming home in case I’d done anything”
– @mattsmith230 tells @JLyall93 about suicidal thoughts and why he quit rugby ???https://t.co/lhwA6FVdoE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 28, 2020
The 27-year-old also praised the bravery of his former Glasgow colleague Matt Smith, who spoke about his own battles with mental health to RugbyPass recently.
“I knew he was having some bad days when we were training, but I had no idea it was like that.
“I felt so bad reading that, because it did hit home, and I’m so proud of him for speaking out and for getting help because he’s a cracking boy and he’s got the best personality.”
From the glamour of being a professional sportsman, Hughes is trying to keep busy while he looks for a new club, but he realises that returning to the game full-time in the short-term may not be a realistic expectation, so is looking to other ventures.
“I’m going out and helping my mate doing a bit of landscaping and roughcasting.
“There’s not a lot of contracts out there at the moment, so I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’ll either have to get a full-time job or get back on the tools.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Oh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on the @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
2 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
2 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
7 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to comments