Age catches up with everyone eventually and the things we love most all too often slip away with that, but, should this be the case for those of us who enjoy playing rugby?
You should play rugby until either your body does not allow you to anymore, the risk of injury and/or the potential loss of income and inconvenience becomes too great, or rugby simply does not fit into your time constraints anymore.
Whilst it is not quite as simple as that, I am going to talk through some of the main considerations that I took into account when I recently made the decision to stop playing rugby, almost completely after playing for 35 years.
Reasons To Stop Playing Rugby
Family Pressures
With two young children 3 and 5, losing two nights a week to attend training and then an entire Saturday afternoon was too much to ask of my wife. Even scaling this down to one training session a week and the occasional game was too much.
Everyone’s priorities will be different, but for me missing out on these golden years with my kids was a touch too far, although for some, rugby will remain a welcome escape.
I also believe in the phrase ‘happy wife, happy life’. So leaving my wife the kids on her own would be a bit much for her to take.
That said, if your wife and family are already a part of the rugby club and enjoy being down the club then there is probably no reason why you shouldn’t carry on for the aforementioned family reasons.
Health Reasons
If you play rugby for a number of years, especially in the forwards, then you probably already have some persistent ongoing injuries. Now, fast forwards another ten years and think how much worse that injury could be if you continue playing at the same level and intensity.
Is that condition then a condition you would happily live with? Would it impact your work or the other hobbies you are involved in?
Perhaps you play golf as well but another decade of scrummaging may rule out playing golf into your golden years. How would you feel about that?
‘Chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever’.
– Every rugby player ever
For me though, another clincher for me ‘giving up’ was that I played in a tens tournament a year or so ago and there were about twenty teams involved. Some were opens teams and some were vets teams, but over the course of the weekend there were 12 hospitalisations and 3 players who needed surgery as a result of the weekend.
There were broken collar bones, broken tibias, dislocated shoulders as well as the usual bumps and bruises. I looked around at the end of the tournament and at 43 considered myself lucky to come through unscathed even though I had loved being part of the team environment and all the banter that goes with it I wasn’t sure it had been worth the risk.
A further health reason, depending on your personality, is how comfortable you are with binge drinking every weekend. Whilst this does not have to a part of playing rugby, for a lot of people it is, and forcing ten pints down your neck each weekend whilst singing ‘zulu warrior’ is most likely going to take a toll on your health at some point in time. So, how comfortable are you with that thought?
Loss of Income
Whilst all players who are registered to play with a club accredited by the governing body in their country, e.g. the RFU (English Rugby Football Union), will have insurance that will cover a certain amount of the worst medical expenses incurred from injuries in matches, there is no allowance for loss of income.
What this means is that should you suffer a bad injury, for example, a medial ligament knee injury and are not be able to walk for six months and you have an active job and an unsympathetic employer then you may well be losing that job, or suffering some form of pay cut, or financial difficulty.
Do you have enough money put aside to make mortgage payments, pay school fees and just generally put bread on the table whilst you recover?
If you don’t have savings available to do this, or you don’t have an insurance policy which covers you for loss of earnings then think very carefully about whether you should be playing rugby still.
Just for you: Do You Need Insurance To Play Rugby?
Repeated Concussions
There has been much sad news in the press recently about rugby and concussions. It does appear that during the early days of professionalism, and well into the 2000s, not enough was done to protect players from head injuries and now there are numerous cases surfacing of players who are developing serious issues related to this and who feel they should have been protected better.
‘Play for as long as you can. You are a long time retired’.
– said The old timer on the side line every week
However, the vast majority reading this are going to be purely amateur players where the head knocks are far less powerful and frequent. I know of no former player I played with or against who have developed any such issues.
Of course, this does not mean to say that you won’t but unless you have been suffering concussions then I would not have thought this was a reason to stop playing! Usual disclaimer though – I am no doctor – please seek medical advice on all things related to concussion.
Opportunity Costs
If you have played rugby every weekend during the seasons since you were a mini junior until you are into your mid 30s then that is an awful lot of time you have spent at the rugby club.
Whilst this is an awesome thing to have done and been a part this may have limited your participation in other worthwhile activities which you may now wish to pursue.
Personally, I always had a hankering to do Thai boxing but never had the time for it, but, having stopped playing rugby I can now fit in a few casual session around my work and life without any difficulties.
I get to meet a new type of person and experience a new sport and be a relative beginner at something again which has been very enjoyable and I would not have had a chance if I had not stopped playing ruggers.
Similarly, I have also had the time available to go fishing with my children as one of them has developed a real passion for it. I would not have been able to do this nearly so much if I were still trying to play rugby.
Loss of Passion
When you do anything non-stop for too long then it can lead to burnout. After years of playing rugby and committing to the game and the club you can simply run out of enthusiasm for playing. You see it in professional players quite often.
You may get sick of getting bashed about in the cold wet weather. You may get tired of putting your body on the line week in week out, or you may simply find yourself wanting to do other things.
But, before you quit, why not have a think about playing a new position? I know many players who gained a new lease of life when they simply switched from being a centre to a back row player.
This switch of position brings an entire set of new challenges to master and it may even extend your time in the club’s first team! Just a thought.
The bottom line is that you have to weigh up the above reasons against the positives you do get from continuing to play rugby whatever they may be. (Hint, check out: Why Rugby Is The Best Sport In The World for a re-cap).
And remember, if you decide to hang up the boots it does not mean you can’t stay involved by coaching, refereeing, or helping out down the club somehow so don’t think that that is where your time in the rugby scene ends, it does not!
All this begs the question…
How Long Can You Play Rugby For?
You can play rugby for as long as you feel able to physically cope with the demands of the game at your level and also make a worthy contribution to the team. Professional players finish their careers at an average of 33 years of age although many continue as an amateur for much longer.
I would suggest not being that guy that continues to ‘play’ but in actuality is just waddling around the pitch serving no useful purpose other than to moan at others. When it gets to that point I would be looking to make an exit rather than deprive others of game time.
That said, though, in junior/lower level club rugby players can keep on playing as long as they like. Front rowers in particular can keep on trucking into their fifties and beyond if the fire remains burning bright.
Rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes, and ages too. If you are still enjoying it then stay involved in whatever capacity you can – your game needs you!
You might also want to read: Rugby And Age: What You Need To Know