Brad Barritt has spoken to the media following the news that he signed an extension with Saracens to remain there for the conclusion of the 2019/20 season. However, whilst confirming his UK career is done he didn’t rule out a move to South Africa.
Brad Barritt not done yet..
“It’s something I was debating at the end of last season. I feel it’s now the right time to step away from Saracens and explore new opportunities,” said Barritt.
“I’ve got a few plans, but at this point I’m just taking a few moments to decide. I want to make sure that if playing rugby is something I want to do, that I don’t close the door quite yet.
“I’ve got a young family. Whether we stay here or go back to South Africa is the more pressing question.”
The Lions tour is in South Africa next year and there could be a chance he plays for a provincial side against the home nations.
“Maybe, who knows,” he says when asked on playing against the Lions. “I haven’t ruled it out. I’m pretty certain of playing in the UK is over, but I’m going to assess how I feel about playing in the next few months, to see if the appetite is still there.”
Barritt wouldn’t play for another Premiership club
“I wouldn’t consider playing for another UK team.”
Injury reminisce
Looking back over his lengthy career, Brad lists just a few of his more serious injuries to highlight the brutality of the game nowadays.
- Foot injury (Lisfranc), 2013
- MCL tear in knee
- “lots of ankle injuries”
- Calves and hamstring tears
- 3/4 broken fingers
- Lacerated eyeball
- Shoulder repair
- 2 sinuplasty
- 4 metal plates in cheek
- Eye socket damage
- “Stitches I wouldn’t be able to give you a number!”
Jokingly, he laughs, “I look at our wedding photo and my wife cries every day.”
‘Golden era’ just paused
Despite impending relegation Barritt believes that the ‘golden era’ of Saracens isn’t over, merely paused.
“The core of the squad that won those European cup and Premiership trophies had been together for seven/eight years. By keeping a squad together meant we knew the measurable things from games become more natural when the guys know each other.
“The ingredients are still there, and there’s a hotbed of talent. The academy is still doing an incredible job of finding and harnessing the talent.
“It’s wiping the slate clean,” he says. “It’s the start of a new era.”
Internationals set to get game time ahead of Leinster tie
“There’s going to be some balance. There’s a great opportunity to give younger guys a chance, but I don’t think anybody wants the team that we foresee playing against Leinster to be undercooked.
“It’s very likely there’ll be a stream of games [for internationals] in the run up to that game.”
“Main photo credit”
