Enduring injustice: a case study of retirement from professional rugby union

Abstract

Garth Armstrong (pseudonym) agreed to participate based on a pre-existing ‘career-guidance-and-support’ relationship with the researcher, to explore the realities of career transition. An account-making approach was used over the last eight months of his professional rugby-playing career (termination) and for a further ten months into his next career (transition). For Garth, retirement was premature, contested and unjust—he felt the moral outrage of being kicked out and of becoming excluded from his own athletic past. Garth regarded himself as embodying the values of a (proper) ‘rugby man’, which were unmatched by those central to making him retire. Being central to the club and modelling idealized behaviours contrasted with still not being offered a replacement contract, meaning that his retirement represented a strong sense of betrayal. This was compounded by then being offered a contract extension, but only with reduced terms. Even after 18 months, support is continuing with retirement still being discussed.