Welsh Rugby Players Association
ALUMNI
Supporting those who wore the shirt before us.
When the inevitable future for all professional rugby players occurs and players put on the shirt for the last time, there are usually three main causes; injury, deselection, or choice.
Studies show that out of these three causes, injury and deselection have the greatest effect on an individual’s ability to cope with the transition. It is well known that when players do not proactively plan for their life after rugby, intense pressure is placed upon not only the player but their family, friends and teammates.
Both academic research and real life stories point to 4 main causes of players struggling to adapt to life after rugby.
1. Career Stress- "Rugby is all I know" "I can't enjoy any job as much as I did playing rugby"
2. Financial stress- Few jobs provide the financial stability and lifestyle associated with a professional rugby career.
3. Social stress- Even the most well-prepared players find leaving the game and not being part of a team anymore extremely challenging.
4. Chronic Pain- For some players, the harsh realities of putting your body on the line time and time again really comes into focus when their career comes to an and so does the extensive medical support. Ongoing pain should not hold you back from living a healthy and happy life after rugby.
If you are currently facing any of these stresses get in touch to find out how you can get access to our PDMS within the WRPA, there to help make the transition as easy as possible.
Planning
The key to a smooth transition is acknowledging the core issues you may face during and after retiring from professional rugby and ensuring you have adequate plans and support networks in place so you can make the most of opportunities for you and your family. Once all WRPA members retire from the game their memberships’ automatically transfer to alumni memberships. Although their yearly PDP and guidance from a development manager will change, these members remain an integral part of our aims and functioning.
Camaraderie
The camaraderie players experience during their professional rugby careers is next to none. Upon retirement, many struggle with a lack of identity and experience loneliness when lifestyles and routines change.
Throughout the year, alumni members are invited to join together to share best practise and experiences after existing the game; setting time aside to ensure this camaraderie extends long into retirement.
Support
When leaving the game, finance and future career planning are key areas of concern. Alumni members benefit from the sharing of industries, many of our members go on to create businesses or join ventures in other industries. This network is ever expanding – the WRPA helps to facilitate the joining of these networks and allow players to utilise skills learnt during their playing days. Alumni members throughout the year are invited to WRPA and partner hosted events, a great opportunity to re-join teammates of the past.
ENQUIRIES
If you are interested in finding resources and support available to ex players please get in touch.
Or,
If you are an ex-player and want to support current players either by providing business services or through the mentorship program please get in touch.