Main Image credit: Flassig Reiner
Sometimes we should take time to appreciate those International rugby stars who plied their trade elsewhere before hitting the jackpot in the game we all love.
In an era where you only make it if you dedicate your life to it, it’s rare to find players who just months prior to their professional career were grinding the 9-5.
With that in mind, here are five international rugby stars who worked hard before making it big…
#1. Finn Russell (Scotland) – Stonemason
After secondary school, the Scotland star pursued an apprenticeship for three years as a stonemason, in a business owned by a family friend, whilst his rugby developed.
Pocketing £300 per week, supplemented by £50 in his hand from Falkirk Rugby Club, Russell is now one of the pre-eminent stand-offs in world rugby and certainly one of the most exciting.
“On rainy days it could be pretty miserable. . . . It could be tough but I enjoyed it,” said Russell.
“I’d be making windowsills, door frames, fire places – even building walls. But compared to playing rugby, it’s night and day. If I ever have a bad day at training, I think back to what it was like working in that cold shed.
“I would like to return to some sort of trade though when I retire.”
