'I will struggle' - Four degrees later, Jamie Roberts pondering post-rugby life
Wales and Lions centre Jamie Roberts is pondering life post-rugby after a revealing interview with The Daily Telegraph.
The 32-year-old was destined don a white coat and stethoscope after studying medicine early in his career, but is now pursuing his Masters in business administration at Loughborough University.
The MBA will be Roberts’ fourth degree. He is also working towards a Masters in Philosophy at Cambridge.
Roberts recently admitted he is unsure what he will do once he finally calls time on his playing career.
“I am in no doubt that I will struggle when I eventually finish playing,” Roberts told The Telegraph.
“I have a lot of close friends who have struggled for the first few years after finishing playing.
“It is difficult now. The reason I have gone on to a business degree five years after graduating from medicine – I wouldn’t say I have forgotten all the work from medicine but I really am not sure what I want to do after playing.
“That is why I am giving myself another angle – I can’t work as a doctor until I retire.”
Roberts also opened up about one of the toughest times he has endured in his career – a time that changed his entire perspective.
Roberts had a tour to forget – a wake-up call of sorts – in November 2016, right before his 30th birthday.
“When I turned 30, I had a tough week,” Roberts said. “We played against Australia and I had a shocker. I got dropped; it was one of my biggest regrets in rugby.”
“It was a really strange week because I had this realisation of, ‘Oh s**t, my career isn’t going to last forever.’
When the time for Roberts to call time does come, the only thing that is certain is that he won’t be short of options.
Roberts last appeared for Wales in late 2017, over one year ago, and hasn’t been a consistent starter for the side since that fateful tour in 2016.
The 94-test veteran currently plies his trade with Premiership side Bath, who are sitting seventh on the table with four wins, two draws and four losses.
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