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
Not 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.
24 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.
24 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 commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
24 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
11 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
3 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
5 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
5 Go to comments