NOT every professional sportsperson is fast-tracked to the top from a very young age.
Some have to bide their time and make it when the right opportunity comes along, Joe Launchbury is the perfect example of that.
The 32-year-old second row has had an exceptional international career with England.
Launchbury has represented the Red Rose 70 times since making his debut in an autumn international against Fiji in 2012.
But for a while he had to look elsewhere to find the money to allow him to play rugby.
Launchbury was on a gap year, planning to head to Bath University, when he started to play rugby for his local team Worthing while he saved up some money to go travelling before starting his studies.
But his passion and ability for rugby took over and he ultimately gave up on a job at Sainsbury’s and his plans for University to pursue his dream to make it pro.
Speaking to England Rugby, he said: ” Once I got encouraged to play there [Worthing] I was also saving some money to go travelling and job hunted in the area,
“But living in a small village there wasn’t much to choose from so I ended up getting a job in the local Sainsbury’s.
“I worked there for six months, and saw it as a way to earn money to go travelling but the rugby ended up going well and I ended up not going travelling either. It was a productive gap year.
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“I worked in the bakery section and it was a good grounding for me and made me appreciate what hard work is. What I do now is such fun and I see it as a hobby.”
After that Launchbury launched his pro career as he signed for Wasps in 2010.
The 6ft 6inch star played over 150 times for Wasps before spending a brief spell playing in Japan between 2022 and 2023 with Toyota Verblitz.
Now Launchbury plies his trade for Harlequins, but despite being eligible to play for England has not been picked in Steve Borthwick’s squad for the Six Nations.
However the Exeter-born lock has had a successful career for England either way.
He has featured in thee Six Nations tournaments, winning two of them including England’s 2016 Grand Slam.
And Launchbury also played his part in the England squad that reached the Rugby World Cup final in 2019.
