Gooonnnnee too soon
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Some older guys who retired from rugby very young - along with already mentioned Ron Jarden...
Graeme Thorne, I think he got a girl pregnant in South Africa and was only in his early 20s when he went to live there.
Bob Burgess - outstanding first five...left to study in France, also in his early 20s.
Joe Karam - a league traitor in his early 20s.
Kit Fawcett - on the scrapheap at 21 after a pretty disastrous tour of South Africa. Left NZ to play overseas.
Bevan Wilson - gone by 23 though mainly as a result of injuries.
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James Somerset looked like a star until he injured his back
This is the only footage I can find of the U21 try that I remember him scoring (sorry for the quality)
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@stockcar86 said in Gooonnnnee too soon:
James Somerset looked like a star until he injured his back
This is the only footage I can find of the U21 try that I remember him scoring
Yeah but if he didn't we may have missed some class comedy from him on the box.
Or maybe he's only funny compared to Hayley Holt?
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@stockcar86 said in Gooonnnnee too soon:
James Somerset looked like a star until he injured his back
This is the only footage I can find of the U21 try that I remember him scoring (sorry for the quality)
I'm impressed. That's a great individual try.
I never thought of him as a nailed on potential future star (mainly due to his size), but then I saw never much of his play as he was crocked.
Not sure if the terrible video quality makes it look even better, he is literally ghosting past defenders.
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@dogmeat said in Gooonnnnee too soon:
@chris-b Lawrie Knight went to France at 27 after scoring the series winning try against 77 Lions
Waka Nathan no international footy after 27 because of repeat injuries
Has John Drake been mentioned?Waka Nathan was in an article a year or so back about rugby and concussion. Apparently he’s suffering the effects quite badly now of his repeated head knocks .
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11607991
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@nepia said in Gooonnnnee too soon:
@dogmeat said in Gooonnnnee too soon:
@jegga not wanting to disparage a legend but he really liked a beer too, which probably compounded the concussion issues.
There's also the fact that dementia can develop without concussion as well.
.....and the fact he's an old man too
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From a cricket side of things weird to say a guy with a 15 year first class career went too soon but the biggest surprise retirement in my life time was Rig retiring barely 4 years into his test career. His determination to make it to the top level combined with a technique that seemed like it would last into his late thirties made it seem like he had at least 5 years left at minimum considering how poorly we produce openers.
FWIW my old man always raved about Wadsworth too.
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@rotated said in Gooonnnnee too soon:
From a cricket side of things weird to say a guy with a 15 year first class career went too soon but the biggest surprise retirement in my life time was Rig retiring barely 4 years into his test career. His determination to make it to the top level combined with a technique that seemed like it would last into his late thirties made it seem like he had at least 5 years left at minimum considering how poorly we produce openers.
FWIW my old man always raved about Wadsworth too.
Rigs polarizing media personality makes it very easy to forget he was such a good player and of course that record speaks for itself even if there isn't exactly too much for a highlights reel....apart from this.
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@bovidae said in Gooonnnnee too soon:
A no.8 that never fulfilled his potential was Isitolo Maka. The test in Durban in 1998 changed when he left the field, never to seen in black again.
Can remember thinking, The f*g dirty Boks!, only to find out it was a flying Robin Brooke elbow!
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I'd just reiterate the comment from @nepia about how farking retarded it is having Lonergan on that original list.
How about Shane Gould. Retired at 17.
Tennis player Andrea Jaegar was 19.
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@pakman said in Gooonnnnee too soon:
@bovidae said in Gooonnnnee too soon:
A no.8 that never fulfilled his potential was Isitolo Maka. The test in Durban in 1998 changed when he left the field, never to seen in black again.
Can remember thinking, The f*g dirty Boks!, only to find out it was a flying Robin Brooke elbow!
Why did he not make the 1999 squad? I remember the late Dylan Mika got a spot instead of him. The 'barnstorming' Taine Randall didn't quite have the same impact.
