Chris Robshaw left ‘hugely depressed’ and ‘blank behind the eyes’ after England’s 2015 World Cup failure
Former England captain saw his side eliminated from their home World Cup at the pool stage that left him in tears and requiring a long period of time to get over the backlash that came his way
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Former England captain Chris Robshaw says he became "hugely depressed" in the wake of his country's dismal display at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Hosts England were dumped out of the competition at the end of the pool stage following Twickenham defeats to Wales and Australia.
Flanker Robshaw was warned by his then Harlequins coach Conor O'Shea of the risks of leading England at the tournament and felt "blank behind the eyes" for a long time afterwards.
"Conor, my boss at the time, said, 'Go away, enjoy the World Cup but know either way you're going to come back a saint or you're going to be Guy Fawkes', and unfortunately it was the latter," Robshaw told the My Sporting Mind podcast.
"For me, I was hugely depressed. I remember I went back to the room and just held my wife and we just cried. There were tears everywhere and I was blank behind the eyes for a long time after that.
"I became a bit of a recluse, I didn't want to go out, just felt like people were judging you all of the time."
Robshaw lost the England captaincy to Dylan Hartley in January 2016 following the appointment of current national team coach Eddie Jones.
He continued to be a regular starter before being phased out of the team, winning the final of his 66 caps against South Africa in June 2018.
The 34-year-old remains thankful for the support he received following the World Cup disappointment, including some comforting words from former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick.
"I remember straight after the tournament that Sean Fitzpatrick emailed me," said Robshaw, who is set to join San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby after spending his entire club career with Quins.
"And he said, 'Nothing anyone can do or say is going to make you feel better' - and he was right - 'But the sun will come up again'.
"Eventually you do come through things but it's a scar I will always wear.
"It's not something I am proud of but it is part of my history now and I am so grateful for everyone who rallied around me because I definitely couldn't have got through it by myself."
PA
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments