Last week, with 181 club caps to his name and a decade after his Academy debut, Jordan Turner-Hall’s colourful career in a Quins shirt was sadly brought to an abrupt end by the hip injury that has plagued him throughout recent years. Announcing his retirement last Wednesday, Turner-Hall looked back on his 10 years with the London club as “memories that will live with [him] forever”.
Standing at 1.83m, and weighing in at over 100kg, Jordan Turner-Hall was known as ‘the Bull’ in his youth, and his hefty frame allowed him to quickly establish himself as a brutal attacking force on the pitch. His early career was full of promise, appearing at Quins throughout his late teens, and quickly developing the nickname ‘Turnover-Hall’ because of the knock-ons he forced from big, weighty tackles. With the support of the Quins academy, Turner-Hall made a name for himself on the international scene, playing twice for England under-18 in 2005 and retaining his place for the 2005/06 season. He was later called up to the England U20 team for the Junior World Championships, earning his first start in a White jersey against the Barbarians in 2009; a year in which he also was awarded the Premierships’ discovery of the season award. His first England cap was awarded during the 2011-12 season, where he was selected for the 32-man Six Nations squad, coming off the bench against Scotland to win the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield and again against Italy in Rome. He was also included on the Summer tour to South Africa the same year. His personal highlight, however, was the 2012 Aviva Premiership winning campaign, which marked the first time that the boys in quartered shirts had lifted the coveted trophy in their history.
It is the likes of Turner-Hall who have brought Quins praise for their fluent, dynamic brand of home-grown rugby – possible only with players that know each other inside out. In recent years, Quins have kept no secret of the fact that they have consciously focused on bringing through young, English talent and developed a strong team bond – the 2013-14 squad, for example, contained only 3 non-English qualified players. This has been supported by investment and development in the Academy programme, which has created a firm sense of club unity and loyalty that has seemingly bound players to the Stoop. Turner-Hall’s retirement marks the first of this new generation born through the Academy, and his playing days epitomize this loyal, hard-working and committed Quins player that the club has nurtured.
His latter years, however, have not lived up to the early expectations. He has found himself dogged by by injury; including the hip damage which first required keyhole surgery during the 2012-13 season. Side-lined for most of the following season, this year he has made few Premiership starts, instead forced to watch his shirt on the back of the younger Matt Hopper, George Lowe and Harry Sloan. Less time on the pitch has thrown the spotlight on his private life, with rugby fans all over the country erupting in steams of online criticism after his assault charge in June of this year, allegedly due to being involved in an attack which left two men with broken teeth and fractured cheekbones. Quins have understandably tried to dispel any rumours, preferring to remain tight-lipped, but whatever the verdict, such media attention has sadly tarnished his reputation right as he hangs up his boots. A sad end to a career that never truly fulfilled its early promise.
That being said, JTH must be seen as innocent until proven guilty. With this episode aside, and focusing on his career highlights, Turner-Hall can be seen as an example of what Conor O’Shea has aimed for at Quins. Well-mannered, well-spoken, and hugely respected at the Stoop by players and fans alike, the Harlequins director of rugby has labeled him a “true squad member and an inspirational mentor to younger members of the squad”. Academy born and bred, he has spent his entire professional career at a club that he adores, and he exudes the spirit of friendly professionalism that us Quins fan cherish so dearly. Indeed, it is with great sadness that we at Quins can only wish our home-grown centre a speedy recovery and the best of luck for the future.
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