Why a life in sport?
When I chose a life in sport it was obviously still an amateur game and you had to have a job. So really I have had a commercial life with sport as an extra. I had to pave my own way to raise a family and have always kept the day job. I’m still passionate about the amateur ethos of rugby, it made you look upon sport in a different way. What I loved about it was the people involved in it, the diverse characters. But to reach a level where you played for your country, nothing could ever beat that. It is unfortunate for young men these days to take a decision at 15 or 16 years of age over whether they will go into the sport as professionals. There is a diversity of people within the game and I hope rugby, although pro, manages to retain that rich tapestry of characters. What was the toughest part of your sporting life? Not being very successful as a national side for many years was a tough one as an England player. Personally, having to retire at 29 with a neck injury was deeply upsetting
