My Life in Rugby: Dan Luger – World Cup winning England wing

I didn't have many injuries but when they did happen they were quite big and seemed to come at unfortunate times, especially when it came to the international scene.
I first got picked for England when I was at university and it came as a big shock to me.
But I broke my elbow in my first ever professional game for Harlequins so that ruled me out and then, after being on the tour to Argentina with England A, I did my cruciate knee ligament. You start to question whether it might ever happen.
But fortunately my debut came in 1998 against Holland. I remember lining up for the national anthems, and Martin Johnson coming down and saying well done, and that they'd been waiting a while to play with me. To hear that just before kick-off was a great moment for me.
We won 110-0 so it was probably harder not to score a try but I managed to make some good breaks and then Neil Back passed me the ball and I got in.
Things went pretty well with England but I injured my groin in the quarter-finals of the 1999 World Cup against South Africa.
I came back again and grabbed a place on the 2001 Lions tour.
I was in the form of my life, but got injured in a training accident before the first Test when I fractured my cheekbone in a collision with Neil Back. I never let him forget that he took away my chance!
I am very proud of my England career. One highlight was beating Australia in 2000 when I touched down with a last-minute winning try.
We had been together for a few years, and beating a Southern Hemisphere side was a massive confidence booster.
Then going into the World Cup in 2003, the opportunity was amazing and I loved every minute of it, even if I was frustrated at not playing more.
I had picked up another cruciate knee injury playing Sevens the year before, and had not really got my starting place back.
My close friend Nick Duncombe also died that year and his passing hit me hard.
But the World Cup success was a team effort, you supported the players both on and off the pitch.
On a domestic level, Harlequins were my club. I played five years for them either side of a spell at Saracens.
The likes of Will Carling were there when I started. It was a great time, even though we were not the best squad around.
I always wanted to go and play in France, though. I wanted to experience the culture, learn the language and live in the south of France.
Perpignan came up and I signed on a two-year contract.
We reached the French championship final in my first season, and although it was the runners' up medal, it was the first bit of club silverware I had received.
A spell at Toulon followed before I helped out a friend at Nice Cote D'Azur rugby club and then retired in 2010.
It was a great time and I'm still based in the south of France, working in trading in Monaco.
Although it's not rugby, there is still that level of pressure and competition and I'm loving it.