Former England rugby hero Julian White has swapped the pitch for a farmsince calling it quits from the sport. White won 51 caps for England and was part of the side which won the Rugby World Cup in 2003. He started against Samoa in the tournament and came on as a replacement against Uruguay. His role in the stunning victory even saw him receive an MBE for services to rugby union in 2004.
While the now 52-year-old was a member of a team that’s regarded as one of the greatest to have ever lifted the Webb Ellis Cup, the ex-England and Leicester Tigers prop is now much more likely to be found caring for his 600 sheep and 90 cows rather than battling it out on the field. The genesis for White’s farm began in 2006, shortly before his playing career came to an end. He now runs the expansive site in Crabtree Farm in Leicestershire with his partner Sara and their three children.
Speaking to The Telegraph at the turn of the year, White opened up on his decision to move into farming. « It was fantastic at Leicester, but I started thinking about life after rugby, » he said.
« I rented a field, had a few sheep. And if you just have one thing to focus on – just rugby – it’s not healthy. » However, White said he had to counter presumptions that were made of him by other farmers due to his sporting background.
He added: « A lot of them are quite cagey. And, because I was a rugby player, they have this bizarre idea that I’m some sort of multi-millionaire, but I’m nowhere near that. »
Despite the enjoyment he takes from his role on the farm, the former front row candidly disclosed the difficulties he faces on the farm. « There have been huge setbacks, » he admitted.
« We had the ‘Beast from the East’ during lambing season and suddenly all my lambs were frozen in the pens, stuff like that. You were struggling to break even anyway and then you have that to deal with. Floods. It can be an absolute b*****d. »
On the stress he’s faced, he continued: « If it wasn’t for Sara… it’s tough now: bills to pay. We have a wood-burner, some little heaters. Not centrally heated. We have WiFi because Sara works. It’s 4G, not cable.
« I’ve had alopecia through stress. People say. ‘You’re a tough rugby player’, but after a while it gets you. It grinds you down. If I wasn’t so bloody stubborn and determined, I’d have given up.
« We are lucky in that we bought some land and it has a value; we could sell it and I’d go and do something else. But that’s not me. I get p****d off, but I’m determined to try to make this work. I don’t want to sound like one of these moany farmers. I love what I do. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing it. »
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