Simon Berghan, a renowned rugby player, has recently made headlines with his retirement from professional rugby.
The Glasgow Warriors released Berghan, prompting him to make this life-altering decision. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Berghan possessed the unique opportunity to represent Scotland due to his Scottish grandfather, who hails from Stirling. In 2014, he relocated to Edinburgh, where his rugby journey truly took off.
Berghan's remarkable talent and dedication led him to earn 33 caps for Scotland, starting from his international debut at the esteemed 2017 Six Nations tournament.
However, on a heartfelt Sunday, the 32-year-old shared his announcement of retirement through an emotional post on social media.
Berghan revealed his decision to bid farewell to the sport that shaped his life, expressing gratitude for the memories and experiences it provided. Looking forward, he expressed his anticipation for a new career in the finance sector, signaling an exciting new chapter in his life.
Berghan wrote on social media: "I have made the decision to call time on my rugby career. Since coming over to Scotland back in 2014 I have acieved more than I could have ever imagined.
"I feel very fortunate to have played rugby for a living and will be forever grateful to everyone who has played a role in making that happen - from my junior oaches to the supporters and fans throughout the years, without you, I truly wouldn't be where I am today.
"To all my teammates over the years, thank you for making my time in sportwhat it was, especially off the pitch! I have made friends for life.
"I am really excited to have the opportunity to move into the corporate world with BlackRock and will attack the new challenge with the same commitment that I did in my rugby career."
7 rugby players now making it big in business after smart investments
Here’s some of the most prominent rugby players to have made waves in business.
Stuart Hogg
After confirming his retirement, Hogg said in a statement: "A new career beckons and I will attack in the same manner as I play the game."
The Scotland legend has revealed he isn't too keen on coaching, but will remain in the game as a pundit after making his debut on BBC during the 2023 Six Nations.
PUNDITRY:
Sources tell RUCK that BT Sport (soon to be TNT Sports) are keen. to recruit the fullback as a key part of their 2023/24 Premiership coverage.
RESTAURANT OWNER:
He is the co-owner of steak house Finsbay Flatiron in Glasgow.
The focus for Finsbay Flatiron is steak, specialising in 8oz flat irons (as the name suggests) and steaks from £8 on weekdays and £10 on weekends, as well as sides like mac and cheese and triple cooked chips.
DISTILLERY:
He's a director of a distillery named Maiden Batch.
Caulker's is a collaborative effort between five Glasgow men, two of whom happen to be British Lions and Scotland rugby internationals, Hogg and Alastair Kellock. The bottle is signed by all five.
Jack Nowell
The England and Exeter Chiefs winger is the co-owner of The Swordfish Inn back in his hometown of Cornwall.
Sitting on the harbourfront, the pub has been a favourite of local fishermen, artists and visitors alike for as long as anyone cares to remember and is well-known for its rugged charm and atmosphere.
He is also a director of .
Phil Vickery
Established in 2003 by the Rugby World Cup Winner & MBE, Raging Bull clothing has grown from grassroots rugby to a brand that punches well above its weight having supplied sportswear to national and international level sides.
Vickery also opened Cheltenham based restaurant No.3 nine years after the former prop won Celebrity Masterchef. With a passion for food and people, Vickery can’t wait to welcome you all to No.3 for a truly memorable dining experience.
Manu Tuilagi
Making a
Tuilagi Gin was often talked about in the early hours of the morning by the brothers after many gin and tonics. As there are fifteen players on the rugby pitch, they have added fifteen botanicals to their gin.
Some of the botanicals they use in their recipe are; Juniper, Coriander, Orris, Sage, Thyme, Mac cloves, Lavender, Rose and Orange peel.
Fran Cotton
Cotton Traders is an English clothing company, specialising in
rugby apparel and leisurewear, based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It was founded in 1987 by former England national rugby union team captains Fran Cotton and Steve Smith.
They currently operate 80 retail stores nationwide in high street, retail outlets, garden centres and travel locations. They also provide an overseas delivery service to over 25 countries, with dedicated websites for customers internationally, in Ireland and Australia.
George Kruis
It was from personal experiences with recovery from injuries that Kruis and former teammate Dominic Day discovered cannabidiol (CBD) and from their positive reactions with the product he set up fourfivecbd – a range of balms, oils, gels and capsules that incorporates CBD.
Their products are now sold in Next and
on their website here. Johnny Sexton
The veteran fly-half, who will hang up his boots following the 2023 Rugby World Cup,
confirmed in an interview with the Irish Times that he likely won't go into coaching.
Sexton said: "I would never say never, you never know what life is going to throw at you
“It wouldn’t be my plan straight away, if an offer came in, it wouldn’t be right for me to coach with guys I played with the last number of years.
"I certainly wouldn’t want to jeopardise this year, because if they find out you’re coaching them, the relationship changes straight away. I won’t be doing it for the foreseeable future.
"Rugby is my passion, it’s all I’ve known. I’ve been doing it for 20 years, longer maybe, when I was a kid. But I think it’s important to step away from it to try another walk of life. And then we’ll see what happens."
“I’ll go and see if I can do something in the business world, I’ve been doing a bit of work experience there over the last few years, one day a week, so I’ll go into that and see how it goes.
“It might not be for me. I might get the itch straight away and come out of retirement, play for St Marys!”
The previous year saw a significant rise in accumulated profits at the management company owned by Johnny Sexton, the renowned rugby captain of Ireland.
The profits surged by nearly £307,000, reaching an impressive total of almost £2.5m.
and promotes accessibility for hearing-impaired people.