Going out of contract is invariably a stressful time for an athlete. But at least when it normally happens - at the end of a season - you have known for some time that it is on the way and so have been able to act accordingly. Not to mention the fact that you have the summer in which to weigh up your options and all being well find new employment.
But if it occurs unexpectedly a couple of months into a campaign, when other clubs have already spent their budgets, the pressure is really on. And that is exactly what happened to Rory Sutherland in September, when Worcester went into administration.
