Sam Warburton has opened up on the thinking behind his shock retirement from rugby, revealing the conversation with Warren Gatland about playing on to the 2019 World Cup and the offer that briefly tempted him back on to the field.
The legendary former Wales captain called time on his career in 2018, aged just 29, despite still being one of the most revered players in Welsh rugby. But while his decision was widely viewed as premature, Warburton insists he has never regretted walking away from the game.
Body struggling to cope
In an interview on his SW7 YouTube channel, Warburton explained that his body was struggling to cope with the demands of professional rugby and that he could not contemplate continuing if he was no longer able to perform at the level he expected of himself.
He also revealed that Gatland had wanted him to carry on towards the 2019 Rugby World Cup, with Wales building towards the tournament after their run to the semi-finals in 2015. Warburton, however, could not see a way of getting himself back to the required physical level.
"The only regret I have is that I feel I let Warren Gatland down a little bit, because I knew how much he was looking forward to the 2019 World Cup," he said. "That was the World Cup where he thought the group would fully mature. We reached the semi-finals and did really well against South Africa, who went on to win it. The players were entering their late 20s and early 30s, which is often a rugby player's prime. But I couldn't physically or mentally get there."
Standards and fear of losing place
Warburton said he did not want to become a player who remained in the game beyond his best years, with his own standards and the fear of losing his place playing a major part in his decision. He explained: "I would have been gutted to go to that World Cup and not start. I said to Gatland, and I didn't mean it in a spoiled way, that if I couldn't be number one, I didn't want to play. I knew I'd have to earn that position, but I never wanted to become a player who carried on too long and wasn't the same person on the pitch.
"You see heavyweight boxers who sometimes don't know when to stop. Maybe I could have made it to the World Cup, but my body was creaking badly. I needed operations on my neck, knee and shoulder. I didn't want anyone to play against me and come away thinking I wasn't as good as they'd expected. I wanted people to remember me as a first-choice player, so I decided to finish while I was still there."
The offer that tempted him back
Warburton's commitment to retirement was briefly tested when a club chairman contacted him around a year after he had stopped playing. The unnamed chairman wanted the former Wales captain to return to the game and form a back row alongside another former British and Irish Lions Test player.
Warburton admitted he considered the offer, even asking his wife for her opinion before making a decision. Her response was unequivocal. "I said, 'Can I speak to my wife?'" he recalled. "I got off the phone and told her what had happened. I told her the story and then said, 'What do you reckon?' She said, 'Don't be so stupid!'
"She knew what I was like and knew I was desperate to finish. So I can't say there wasn't times I was tempted! But she knew what the right thing was and she was bang right."
Warburton said his standards were ultimately a major factor in resisting the temptation. The lure of another Lions tour in 2021 played on his mind, but as he admits, he was "seven operations deep" by that point and "the odds were stacked against me". He did not want to return if he could not perform at the level he expected of himself, particularly after the physical problems that had forced him to stop in the first place.
He also knew the demands of another playing cycle would be considerable. "I decided to be grateful for what I'd achieved, prioritise my family and put my time into being a good dad," he said.
A new life after rugby
Warburton has since built a career away from playing, combining broadcasting work with SW7, the fitness venture he developed to help people improve their health and physical wellbeing. His experience of professional sport has also shaped his approach to life after retirement. He has spoken about the toll 15 years of rugby took on his body, including problems with his spine, shoulders and knees, but believes the right approach to training can still make a significant difference to everyday life.
Now 38, he says he feels better than he did at 28, when he was playing professional rugby week after week. He has also been clear that retirement has never left him wishing he had carried on for another season. "I've never watched a rugby match since retiring and thought I wish I was playing," he said.
That passion for health and fitness is now set to take on a new dimension in his home city, with SW7 Gyms confirmed as one of the first leisure occupiers at Stride Park in Llanishen. The gym, founded by Warburton and business partner Andrew Jones, is expected to open in 2027 as part of a wider leisure development at the former Royal Mail office and brewery distribution site. The scheme will also feature The Padel Club, which plans to open seven courts, including four indoor courts and two outdoor courts, alongside a clubhouse with food, drink, showers and coaching facilities.
Warburton said creating a space where people could benefit from the training environments he experienced during his playing career had become a passion project since retirement. "Optimising my health and performance has always been a huge part of my life," he said. "Since retiring creating a space that brings the best of those experiences to everyone has become a real passion project. To open our first site in north Cardiff, where I grew up, makes it even more special. I want it to be a place the whole community feels welcome, whatever their background, ability or goals - and hopefully the first of many."
