Owen Farrell says he wants to play rugby for as long as possible and has left the door open to a potential England return. The former captain is poised to be ineligible for his country for at least two years after agreeing a summer move to French club Racing 92.
Farrell missed the Six Nations this year to prioritise the wellbeing of his family but he insists his love of the game has not diminished. Asked about his international future, he said: “I’ve stepped back and there’s obviously a change happening next year [moving to France]. Then we’ll see. There’s no point in saying anything now because I don’t know how I’m going to feel later down the line.”
While Rugby Football Union rules prevent overseas-based players from representing England, Farrell could be selected by the British & Irish Lions for the series in Australia next year. His father, Andy Farrell, is head coach for the three-Test tour. “Have I spoken to my dad about it? I’ve told him: ‘Well done,’ if that counts,” Farrell said. “There’s nothing to talk about – whatever happens, happens.
“There are no decisions to be made about any of that. When it gets closer to the time, I guess things become clear or they don’t. You see how people are at that time. There is nothing to talk about there at the minute.”
Farrell will begin the final stage of a 16-year career with Saracens on Saturday when he is expected to play his 250th match for the club against their London rivals Harlequins. Should the domestic title holders and three-time European champions reach the Premiership and Champions Cup finals, Farrell will have at most 13 Saracens appearances remaining.
Speaking to the media for the first time since his Racing move was made public in January, an upbeat Farrell reflected on his decision to move across the Channel.
“Obviously the World Cup was difficult at times,” he said, alluding to the boos he received from his own fans. “I really enjoyed the playing side of it and being involved. I was just trying to get back to enjoying myself, trying to get back to enjoying my rugby, trying to get back to loving what I’m doing.”
The move to France was preceded by Farrell’s decision to take a step back from international rugby after winning 112 caps. In November, after steering England to third place at the World Cup, he said he would prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing. Four months since then Farrell stands by his choice.
“I was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing by us as a family, by myself,” he said. “Everything else that was going on, I can’t control that. That’s not up to me.
“I’m not the most outgoing on social media, I’m not the most outspoken in general. So I guess I’ve never been one to give too much of myself, and I don’t expect people to know what I’m like, how I am as a person. So when it does get personal, to listen to that would be silly on my part. I was just trying to do the right thing by us and me.
“But you kind of feel [the negativity] at times, but it would be wrong of me to entertain it too much. Because anyone’s opinion I respect, or anybody I know to be honest, I wouldn’t see them going into comments sections and writing stuff. I don’t know anybody that would do that, so my thoughts on that would be: ‘Why should I think about it too much?’ But you do kind of get a sense of it. I deleted social media for the whole of the World Cup and you still kind of feel that it’s there.”
Saracens’ director of rugby, Mark McCall, who has said the treatment of Farrell was “shameful” and “unfair”, praised his player for being “brave enough to talk” about his struggles. “I think at least it’s maybe changed the dial a small bit,” McCall said.
For Farrell, this swansong has also shifted something internally. “It just makes me want to enjoy it more,” he said. “It just makes me want to finish it off well and I think when we’re enjoying it the most, we’re playing our best stuff and we’re getting the best out of ourselves. That’s the focus, that’s what we got into at the back end of last year and we managed to finish the season off well so there’s a great opportunity to do that this weekend in a big game, so we’ll see what happens.”
Saracens, fourth in the league, a point behind second-placed Harlequins but only six above Bristol in eighth, have a challenging run of games ahead. After the London derby at Tottenham Stadium they travel to table-topping Northampton before a European trip to Bordeaux Bègles. This might not be a fairytale finish. Even so, even if Farrell doesn’t add to the six league and three European titles he’s won with Saracens, his coach is adamant that his legacy is secure.
“He’s done everything and achieved everything here,” McCall said. “And to go and explore the opportunity that he has in France, to experience something different with his family, I think it’s a great thing to do at this stage of his career.
“I can’t imagine Owen Farrell not being in rugby for the rest of his life to be honest. Given the rugby IQ that he has, the motivational ability that he has, the communicator that he is, the good person that he is, you could see him stepping into coaching very readily and we hope in time that might be here.”
