My Life in Rugby: James Hanks – former Exeter lock

After some time in the hospital I was told that I couldn’t play rugby again.
That was a devastating moment for me because there was still things left in the sport that I wanted to accomplish.
I remember going to catch the ball against Bath in the LV= Cup semi-final in March and I was at a bad angle and that was that. Nothing was broken but I was diagnosed with compression of the neck.
It was really tough to be told I had to retire but I knew that no one can play forever and everyone’s career comes to an end at some point.
Everyone is also aware that there is a risk of serious injury when they play rugby, even if we work really hard every day to try to minimise that risk.
But I quickly realised that I couldn’t focus on the negative side because I was going to make a full recovery and that was the most important thing.
It’s still tough to admit it’s all over but looking back, getting promotion to the Premiership in 2010 was definitely the highlight of my career.
I knew from the moment I arrived at Exeter that it was a Premiership club in waiting and winning promotion was inevitable.
We weren’t favourites for the final against Bristol but we were definitely the better side over two games and the moment that final whistle went was the best feeling.
It was a moment of pure elation and I think the celebrations probably went on for ten days after!
To get that chance in the Premiership at the club I had joined straight from university was a real privilege.
I actually got spotted when I was playing for the university in 2005, at that time Rob Baxter was still playing for Exeter and I went to play for their second team and instead of being a big fish in a small pond I became the exact opposite. But that was all part of what made it so enjoyable and I think I adapted quickly and I got my first professional contract not long after.
Signing that contract was incredible, I really struggled to believe that someone was going to pay me money to play rugby and work out at the gym!
My mum and dad came down on the train to watch my debut which was a South West derby against Cornish Pirates.
From then on it was always about maintaining the enjoyment. It never changed for me; it was always about going out and playing rugby with my mates, from when I was a kid until my final match.
I didn’t really come from a rugby family but I was a big lad and all the years that I’d spent wrestling with my brother meant that I took to it all quite naturally.
I’d have loved to have played representative rugby but that didn’t happen and now I have to be as pro-active as possible and move on to the next challenges in my life.
It’s a club I call home now and I want to be around for as long as possible. They’re a side with incredible ambition and to have been a part of their progress for ten years means the world to me.