One of the all-time characters in Australian Rugby, Nic White, believes the time is right to call it a day as he prepares for his last Wallabies appearance.
White will run out for the last time for the Wallabies on Saturday against the British & Irish Lions, 12 years on from a back injury that cruelled his chances of a dream debut.
He will then finish his career with the Western Force in Super Rugby AUS before officially hanging up the boots.
“I was ready to go into bat with Joe [Schmidt, Wallabies coach] about potentially running the water just to finish in my boots. I didn't see it coming, but really appreciate it and I won't let the boys down,” White said and smiled with his trademark wit.
“It's all happened pretty quickly, to be honest, in the last two weeks or so. A couple of honest conversations probably with myself more than anything and a couple of people and it just feels like now's the right time at the end of this year to finish up.
“Something in me that just wants to compete and I guess if the body could keep going, I would keep going. But the body's just given me a lot of signs that now's the right time and I think it's time I start listening….It just feels right. Everything, it seemed like everything was pointing me in that direction.”
White told the team on Tuesday of his decision, and his three young kids and his partner are set to join him in camp on Thursday to celebrate his last time in the gold jersey.
The scrum half was his typical jovial self when asked about telling the group the news and what he’ll miss about the game.
“I tried to make a bit of a joke out of it, and with my personality, boys don't hear many jokes from me. So I had to let them know I was kidding but I’m very lucky to have a group like this around me,”
“I love love absolutely every part of [this job]. There hasn't been a day where I've felt like I've gone to work. I live and breathe it and these boys have to tell me to calm down a bit, stop talking rugby and there's stuff outside of it.
“I'll miss the competing. I'll miss putting the body on the line. I'll miss working hard. Yeah, all of it. I'm very lucky this weekend that we get to play in front of a packed stadium at home.”
White was privileged to get the opportunity but there was one thing he’d trade it for.
“I could absolutely give this moment back to have the result on the weekend [reversed] and have Jake and Tate go out there this weekend and I'll be sitting in a suit…This is all awesome for me at the end of the day to get this, but I'd trade it in 100%,” he added, the true competitor shining through until the end.
[I’m] not about the fairytale, I would have preferred we'd be going into a decider and the team being unchanged and that'd be that.
“I'm sure I'll look back after and this will be pretty cool to be able to go at Accor and play in front of, I won't let anyone down, I guarantee you that. I’d trade it for sure.”
