Former England Rugby Wing Anthony Watson Embraces Retirement After Career-Ending Injury

Were it not for being expressly told that his uncooperative body would no longer allow him to play rugby, Anthony Watson would still be electrifying audiences in the autumn of a stellar career. Capped 56 times by England and a World Cup finalist in 2019, Watson was 30 when he succumbed last year to the back injury that had plagued him for the previous 12 months. It would be understandable if he harboured more than a trace of regret but for Watson the "clean break" from life as an exceptional wing was a blessing. "The clarity made it easier, because I'd have risked [my health] to the nth degree to keep playing if it was left to me," he said. At odds with the countless tales of retired sportspeople who have struggled without the routine and competition that formerly governed their lives, Watson is "enjoying having control of what I can do and when". In the city last week as a Laureus ambassador and to attend the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Watson said: "My life was extremely regimented from around the age of 13, and I would never have had the opportunities to do things like this, nor be in control of what I was doing when I was here."