England Rugby star Jonathan Joseph talks setbacks, retirement and giving back during visit to former school
Jonathan Joseph is a man at a crossroads.
A three-time Six Nations winner at centre for England, the 33-year-old is coming to the end of his career.
Joseph is happy to admit this fact, and reflected on his illustrious career during a visit to his old school last month.
Park House pupils listened intently, as the former London Irish and Bath star recalled some of the highlights from his career.
“It was always the people I was playing with, the memories I created with some of my best mates, that was always very special to me,” Joseph told a packed classroom.
“Those are the things I hold onto the most.
“At Newbury I had loads of friends. I remember freezing cold sessions, festivals, it was great as a kid, I loved it.”
Joseph spoke to the group alongside one of those old friends, Dan Thorne, a maths teacher at the school and current Newbury Blues captain.
Joseph, born in Derby, moved to Newbury at a young age and spent his teenage years playing at Monks Lane and Park House.
“We all develop at different stages,” he told the students.
“I was always very little, so small they had to put me at fly-half!
“The step-up to London Irish was quite hard.
“My grades slipped a bit… I wouldn’t recommend that.
“I was inconsistent, late and wasn't playing that well.
“They gave me an ultimatum, and that was the kick that I needed.
“There were a lot of bumps in the road, but I needed them to get better.”
Joseph has 54 England caps to his name, having scored 85 points in that time.
He made his debut while still quite young, and found himself dropped from the side just a year later.
For Joseph, it’s been the setbacks which have made him who he is today.
“The knock-backs were important for me,” he said.
“If you’re not improving, you’re going backwards.
“That was something I had to learn along the way.”
Joseph played 175 games for Bath, before heading off to the Basque Country in 2023 to sign for Biarritz.
He’s contracted for another year, but is already looking to the future as his playing career wraps up.
With his young daughter in tow, watching Joseph speak to the kids at his old school reveals a clear aptitude for teaching the next generation.
“I always enjoyed helping the younger ones coming through,” he said, while posing for photos with boys and girls after the session.
“There’s something sweet about giving back, trying to improve someone in rugby or in general.
“The kids are great, they want to learn.
“As long as I can give them something to take away then I’ve done my job.
“I don’t think it’s hard in life to be nice and give back.
“It’s almost a responsibility if you’ve got people looking up to you.”
For now, another year in Biarritz awaits, but with family still living in the area there is always a home in Newbury for Joseph.
“It was an exciting new adventure,” he said of the move to France.
“To live on the beach and experience a bit of French rugby is not a bad way to go out.
“I’m not a big worrier, I take each day as it comes.
“Rugby has given me so much, my next step will be in the sport in some capacity, I try not to overthink it.
“Now that I'm almost retired I’ll definitely be in the area more often, doing things like this and giving back where I can.”
