The lonely road ahead for McKenzie will hopefully make him a better player
Sport can be cruel sometimes, with no explanation or reasoning, and twist someone’s life in a split second. The highs are euphoric and the lows are depressing for professional athletes. For Chiefs dynamo Damian McKenzie, the lonely road ahead will be a mental battle as much as a physical one.
The star’s ruptured ACL will sideline him for eight months, ending his year and his dream of playing in this year’s World Cup. The initial diagnosis will be hard to process and feelings of solitude will creep in along with this hard realisation.
This is the dark side of professional sport where everything that a player enjoys about this career is taken away – the adrenaline of playing in front of thousands, the camaraderie of being a part of the team, the social aspect of training with your mates every day and of course, playing the game they love. For highly competitive athletes, missing out on this is torture.
You can watch the game but can’t be a part of it, you see your team train but you aren’t involved, and slowly the mind plays tricks on you.
The rehab group is usually separated from the rest of the playing team, completing their own tailored programme of work. The physical isolation begins to build invisible walls, and the feelings of loneliness are hard to fight off.
At the same time, the self-doubt is impossible to ignore – will I be the same player again? Will I make a full recovery? The mind has to deal with fear, uncertainty, and doubt, which can lead down a dark path of negative thoughts. Throughout this process, he has to rebuild his mind as much as his knee to come out the other side in a better place.
It almost becomes an identity crisis – everything that was his life won’t be for the next eight months. It shatters the illusion that rugby can provide for a long time, with a taste of life without playing. It is something that every player knows in the back of their mind will come one day, but it is still a scary prospect to come to terms with.
He can take solace in the fact that he isn’t the first or the last to be forced through this challenge. In fact, many of his All Black teammates have first-hand experience with this that can offer advice or lend an ear to talk to. Sonny Bill Williams, Dane Coles, Ardie Savea, Nehe Milner-Skudder, and Sam Cane are just some that would be a wise support crew.
Many of them have gone through the dark days and come out the other side, Cane is still going through it. Even just returning to the field is a major milestone. For the public, it isn’t significant, but for the player, it is the end of a massive mental journey and that light can seem like a long way down the tunnel.
At 23-years-old this is the first major setback for McKenzie who has exhilarated since debuting in Super Rugby. His ability is special and, when you consider his size defies the way the modern game is heading, a source of inspiration for youth.
In Argentina, he is a fan favourite. They can’t believe the feats he is capable of on a field of giants. His game is similar to the flamboyant South American-style that we see in Ramiro Moyano, Bautista Delguy, Emiliano Boffeli, but even more so. It is no wonder that he is the favourite All Black in Buenos Aires.
The way he has captured the imagination of the Argentinians was surely going to be same for the rest of the world later this year in Japan. Everyone has been robbed of seeing one of the world’s most exciting players on the grandest stage in Japan. It is a shame no doubt.
McKenzie won’t be the same when he comes back to the field, but that’s meant in a positive way. The experience will change him mentally as it does every player, but this will add an almost assassin-like edge with cold-blooded determination to take off where he left knowing that time is precious and the game is unforgiving.
The experience will shape the rest of his career and hopefully, we will see him come back better than before.
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“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.
24 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
4 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.
10 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 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)
4 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?
5 Go to comments