Playing the long game

Finding a new livelihood after a career as a professional sportsperson is rarely an open goal

Tomás O’Leary: “I knew rugby wouldn’t last forever”

For most people, retirement is a welcome reward for decades of graft and commitment. It is a phase of life that is yearned for and enjoyed.

For most athletes, it is their worst nightmare.

The average length of a professional rugby player’s career is just seven years, while a footballer can expect to play for eight. Most former sportspeople find themselves having to find a new job by their mid-30s and are often ...