Frustrated Horan to hang up his boots

LONG before news of his decision to retire from professional rugby was announced last week, Marcus Horan had made the decision in his head. Munster’s most capped player made just three of his 224 appearances for the province this season. The Clonara man’s lack of game time made the decision for him.

“The season that I’ve put down has definitely prepared me for life without rugby. I had a pretty poor return for the effort I’ve put in this season. I’ve only started three games. That’s the main reason for my decision. The whole idea of being involved is to play rugby and when you’re not doing that, I think it’s time to hang up the boots,” the 67-times capped Irish international told The Clare Champion this week.

He is disappointed that Munster coach, Rob Penney, who is in his first season in the job, didn’t stand by an early season pronouncement to give every player a chance to prove themselves.

“With new management coming in, we were all told that there was a clean slate and that everyone was going to get looked at. I don’t think that happened for me and I’m disappointed with that to be honest. But every coach is different and they have their own reasons. There’s no point in me trying to fight it. You’re not going to change a guy’s mind,” the Munster prop forward laughed.

Now aged 35, Horan is adamant that he is as fit and able and as he has ever been. “There’s young lads coming in but I feel as strong and as fit as I’ve ever been. The scores don’t lie in the gym. I’ve been very happy with my progress in the gym and on the fitness pitch as well but you just want to be playing. When that’s not happening it’s time to go,” he reflected.

A Heineken Cup winner with Munster in 2006 and 2008, Horan feels that retirement won’t faze him. Many of his contemporaries have already retired so at least he’ll have plenty of company in that regard.

“I was talking to some of the lads, who have retired and it has been a great help to me. They’ve all admitted we all have these ideas in our heads about how we’re going to retire; this fairytale way of leaving. But I’d say it’s rare that anybody gets it their way.

“I’d say I’ve come to terms with that since before the decision was announced. But it’s never easy. Munster has been a part of my life for the last 14 years. It’s tough to see the back of it but I’ve probably dealt with that disappointment long before this week to be honest,” he said.

He doesn’t envisage playing All-Ireland League (AIL) rugby with Shannon. When he goes at the end of the season, he’ll be gone.

“To be honest I don’t think I will. The 14 years of Munster has been tough enough but when you add on the many years I played with Shannon at AIL level, when AIL was that bit more competitive, I’ve a lot of miles on the clock now. I think it’s time for me to move on from rugby. I’m not enjoying the sport at the moment and I’m actually looking forward to the end of the season. I think I need time away from it for a while. I can see myself, maybe down the road, getting back into it in some form but not at the moment,” he revealed.

Horan said he just hasn’t been enjoying rugby life lately. “Maybe it’s the kick I needed to get out of there and get on with things. I think it was important for me to get out now.

“I have started to dislike what I was doing and from being in a position, when I was younger, where I was bouncing out of bed every morning to go training, it was becoming more and more difficult. I think getting out now is important rather than trying to do another year. I think this time next year, I’d probably be very bitter and very angry,” he said.

Horan isn’t avoiding the possibility that life outside rugby may prove challenging and he hasn’t yet identified exactly what he will be doing career wise.

“I’m under no illusions that it’s going to be easy or anything like that. I’ve nothing lined up as such yet. I think I need to take a bit of time out and reassess what I’m going to do. It’s an exciting time for me now to start something fresh. It’s obviously a difficult time in the country economically but if I can make good of anything now, while things are bad, it’ll stand to me later on,” he feels.

“The great thing about it is there’s a few lads that have gone before me and they’ve gone through the same emotions and the same practical problems that I will be experiencing. So there is a good support network there. Being out of the circle or that bubble that Munster is, I think I probably went through that during the last 12 months. You feel a bit of an outsider when you’re not involved,” Horan added.

He is looking forward to sitting down and viewing some of Munster and Ireland’s great moments over the last decade.

“I think I’ll enjoy sitting down with my dad or with my father-in-law, who has a library full of matches at home. It’ll be good to sit down and watch them and meet up with the other lads that have retired as well. Family is hugely important to me. My wife Kate has made huge sacrifices for me all through the years. We met at college so we’ve been together a long time. My parents have also sacrificed a huge amount. It’s time to give a bit back and to be around a bit more for them,” he believes.

Marcus and his daughters were introduced to the crowd at last Saturday’s PRO 12 league match, Munster v Leinster, in Thomond Park. He enjoyed the moment and thinks that, in time, so will his daughters.

“It’ll be nice to have those memories of the girls out on the pitch with me. Those things are really nice to have. I know they’re all a bit young now but they’ll be able to look back on it with a bit of pride,” Munster and Clare’s most capped prop smiled.