RUGBY: A SURVEY OF retired Irish rugby players from the professional era, the first of its kind, has revealed that "only six per cent of former professional rugby players found the retirement experience easy, with the vast majority finding the experience either difficult or in some cases very difficult."

"That means less than one in 10 enjoys it or finds it relatively easy," said chief executive Niall Woods of the Irish Rugby Union Players Association, who commissioned the survey by BDO Simpson Xavier Consultants. "And that goes for everything, from medical to financial to psychological, the whole aspect of losing the adrenalin that comes with playing and no longer being a team member."

As alarming was the discovery that four in 10 players had their careers cut short by injury, and that 72 per cent of those remain in regular pain or discomfort due to the injuries sustained during their playing career, while nearly half of those concerned - 20 per cent - could no longer play rugby of any kind.

The bulk of the survey was conducted so as to point IRUPA's 160-odd membership toward the association's Player Services Programme, to give players some hard facts. "In other words, this is the reality here in Ireland, not in Australia or England," said Woods.

Even Woods, himself a victim of a bad knee injury which effectively ended his career at the age of 28, was taken aback by the findings, which showed that 41 per cent of pro players suffered enforced retirement directly as a result of an injury.

"The impact of this involuntary retirement is felt significantly in terms of post-rugby career planning, meaning that no matter how prepared a player may think they are for retirement and no matter how much preparation they undertake for your life post rugby, there is a 40 per cent chance that you will retire before you think you would like to," the report concluded.

"I can only speak from personal experience," Woods adds "and that's exactly what happened. At 28 I snapped my knee. At 30 I had a completely arthritic knee and had to retire. Look at Simon Best. He had a heart attack in the prime of his health. Clem Boyd was another who retired through illness. He had a heart condition as well. If you look at a couple of my own team-mates some of them are still walking with a limp. And again it's about trying to avoid those scenarios in the future.

"The IRFU provide excellent medical care when you play, but nothing's done [post-career]. I'm not having a go at them for that. It's still a relatively new sport and they're pioneering in their care of players playing currently, so there's no reason why they can't be post-career in tandem with us."

To this end, IRUPA and the IRFU will explore ways of providing medical care without any drop-off period on foot of retirement.

There are few examples of professional sport which provide what's called an "exit medical", although one that does is Australian Rules football.

"If the medical says you need your nose fixed or you need a clear-out of your knee, or you need a shoulder clean-out, the club has to pay for that for 12 months post your contract retirement date."

"That would be aspirational," said Woods. "If we could get that it would be excellent. They also have a group discount scheme for past professional players with obviously VHI, Hibernian Health or Bupa. They have the volume of numbers, as opposed to the 160 players here."

Roughly 40 per cent of those surveyed required corrective surgery or hospitalisation since they stopped playing due to injuries suffered in their careers. Softening these blows however, 85 per cent had medical insurances, as opposed to only 29 per cent in the UK, which Woods says is reflective of general public trends in Ireland and the UK.

The survey also revealed that all pro players experience a significant drop in earnings on retirement, the results show that even two years after retirement most players struggle to achieve the same salary. Nine out of 10 player's salaries decreased in the first two years after retirement and of those players earning up to €100,000 during their career, only one in four were able to maintain this level on retirement.

The survey did not unearth those hard-luck stories more commonly found in football - of players turning to gambling or booze, or going bust, but no less than anyone else, professional rugby players retire faced with mortgages and car loans, and for those married with kids, possibly school fees as well.

"But several are struggling to find jobs and, in any event, not all have adequately prepared for the day their career ends - in 40 per cent of cases because retirement was brought on prematurely.

"But I think the change in the economic climate is making guys more aware of what they need to."

IRUPA SURVEY MAIN FINDINGS

• Only six per cent of former pro rugby players found the retirement experience easy, with the vast majority finding the experience difficult or very difficult.

• 41 per cent of pro players suffered enforced retirement directly as a result of an injury. Of these, 72 per cent are in regular pain or discomfort as a result of injuries sustained during their playing career. Nearly half of players can no longer play rugby of any kind due to injuries received during their career.

• All pro players experience a significant drop in earnings on retirement - nine out of 10 players' salaries decreased in the first two years after retirement and of those players earning up to €100,000 during their career, only one in four were able to maintain this level on retirement.

• Of these 72 per cent are in regular pain or discomfort as a result of injuries sustained during their playing career. Nearly half of players can no longer play rugby of any kind due to injuries received during their career.

• "It's tough, emotionally and practically, to move away from the scene, the buzz, the lifestyle and the good salary. Short term, retirement is tough on many fronts and far tougher than I imagined."- said one player.