Lost prophets

I was musing over my other love (cricket) and got to thinking that Mike Brearley (the best English skipper in my experience) went his own way and disappeared from the scene completely to follow another honourable and probably less remunerative direction.

Which top rugby union players have refused a post-playing rugby media type job to concentrate on a career on which they thought more worthwhile?

Didn't a Scottish player quit to become a doctor?

Portnoy wrote:I was musing over my other love (cricket) and got to thinking that Mike Brearley (the best English skipper in my experience) went his own way and disappeared from the scene completely to follow another honourable and probably less remunerative direction.

You have got to be joking - MB is now a highly paid "motvational speaker"/ psychoanalyst (on the back of his astonishing handling of Botham and Willis in '81) and cricket journalist for the Observer!

Not that I begrudge him that - the finest cricket captain ever? Certainly the only one I can name who was worth his place in a side solely on his captaincy skills (lets be honest, his batting wasn't up to International standards).

Oh - and JPR went back to surgery to put back together players he had previously been taking apart!

ML wrote:

Portnoy wrote:I was musing over my other love (cricket) and got to thinking that Mike Brearley (the best English skipper in my experience) went his own way and disappeared from the scene completely to follow another honourable and probably less remunerative direction.

You have got to be joking - MB is now a highly paid "motvational speaker"/ psychoanalyst (on the back of his astonishing handling of Botham and Willis in '81) and cricket journalist for the Observer!

Not that I begrudge him that - the finest cricket captain ever? Certainly the only one I can name who was worth his place in a side solely on his captaincy skills (lets be honest, his batting wasn't up to International standards).

All the above is true (especially the " the only one I can name who was worth his place in a side solely on his captaincy skills" bit). But to my understanding he has always been dragged back kicking and screaming into the establishment.

It does not surprise me that he is earning a buck or two out of being a motivational speaker, but his primary interest was psychology - not cricket.

Portnoy, not the feicing establishment again?! Jeez, they get everywhere!

AD, "top" rugby player & Scottish? Oxymoron?!

Do you really think Brearley's chosen career is "honourable"?

RubyGuby wrote:Do you really think Brearley's chosen career is "honourable"?

If you mean to ask did I really think that Brearley's chosen career outside sport was honourable then I'd say yes.

That's what I was asking - I've never heard of psychotherapists/analysts being seen as honourable - That's interesting

Henson went on to become the bachelor

And what have you just been watching View?

W.G.Grace,Percy Fender,Sir Leonard HuttoN.,Peter May,I think they mayhave something to say about best ever England captain.Not even close.

David Blair quit a few months back to become a teacher.

Didnt a New Zealand rugby player become a politician?

I think a Polish player went on to become the Pope also!

AlynDavies wrote:Didnt a New Zealand rugby player become a politician?

I think a Polish player went on to become the Pope also!

Yes but as easy to bring down as Banahan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvTP1HMRCv8

Simon Goeghan - lawyer. Would have liked to have seen more of him after his on pitch career but he rarely surfaces.

Yep i admit i watched the bachelor

viewtothegym wrote:Yep i admit i watched the bachelor

emack2 wrote:W.G.Grace,Percy Fender,Sir Leonard HuttoN.,Peter May,I think they mayhave something to say about best ever England captain.Not even close.

Depends how you judge your captains - personally I rate Brearley because he has a FAR superior win rate when compared to all those you mention, and as the head of a weaker side.

http://www.rankopedia.com/Best-England-Cricket-Captain-since-1930/Step1/11758/.htm

Nice one View - My wife actually had it on when I was on 606 so I must have picked up some peripheral comments from the show

didn't Dan vickerman halt his rugby career to go study?

Dan Vickerman left a successful international career in 2008 to attend the University of Cambridge, where he is now reading a degree in Land Economy at Hughes Hall. Fxxxing students eh!

Fair do's to Henson he seems a nice lad but not much between the ears and the ladies!well a fair few bunny boilers for him to choose from.

South of France!!! - It looked to me like the show was coming from Battersea - Id settle for one of these before half of those

David Kirk quite rugby pretty early to go of to be a Rhodes scholar. And while he has coached and done lots of rugby stuff most of the time he has been into politics and business.