INJURIES ARE REGULARLY cited as the worst part of being a professional rugby player, all the more so when concussion is involved.
Mental toughness is almost a pre-requisite for playing at the highest level of the sport, but that doesn’t mean rugby players don’t have doubts like everyone else.
New Zealand captain Richie McCaw opened up about his own struggles in recovering from serious concussion in 2004 when he spoke to Osher Günsberg on the ‘Movember Radio’ podcast.
The legendary openside flanker missed several months of the 2004 season on account of his issues with head injury, while he has also suffered concussion at other times during his career.
Dealing with those stints on the sideline is not easy, admitted McCaw in his chat with Günsberg, but the 34-year-old says the best way to come back from any injury is to have a clear programme for recovery.
The big thing I’ve learned is to actually have a plan in place for how you’re going to get to the point of either being back playing or fit again,” said McCaw. “But if you meander along, sometimes you keep thinking ‘I’m no better today than I was yesterday.’
“That can build up and get yourself into a hole.
“I actually went through a situation of that. Back in 2004 I had a concussion which, to be honest, was bad enough. Obviously concussion is not a good thing, but it was no worse than some people who recover quite quickly.
“But I started to doubt myself and it went on for a couple of weeks. Then I got myself in a loop where people were always asking; that frustrated me, and I got really short with people.
“It wasn’t until I got myself back playing, I looked back and I was actually in a bit of a dark space. I didn’t want to talk about it, I didn’t want to talk to anyone and I was short to people, even my family and that.
“You got a bit short and in a funny way they were sort of worried too, but they didn’t want to say anything. I look back on it and go ‘Wow, that wasn’t a very nice place to be.’
I think what I learned from it was actually talking to the right people, so the doctor or whatever, and actually put a plan together and trust in those people. For subsequent injuries, that really stood to me.”
Elsewhere in the interview, McCaw spoke about dealing with the pressure and expectation that comes with his status as All Blacks captain, how rugby players deal with mental well being and the struggle to actually talk about their issues.
You can listen to the full podcast below:
Movember Radio / SoundCloud
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