My Life in Rugby: Barry Everitt – former London Irish & Northampton fly-half

It was the norm to have a hurling stick in your hand, not a rugby ball, where I grew up in Ireland and I didn't take up rugby until I was 15.
At that time Tony Ward was a real icon and, as a fly-half, Ralph Keys was another player I looked up to during the 1991 World Cup when Ireland just missed out on the semis.
My father played for Munster and it was amazing to be able to follow in his footsteps. Having started my senior playing career at Garryowen and then moving to Lansdowne, I decided to join London Irish. It proved to be a home from home for seven years and made many friends for life.
During my time at the club I studied part-time for a degree at Brunel University, as a form of escapism from the pressures and routine of rugby. I had my head in books while others were enjoying their downtime on days off, but it served me well in preparation for life after the game.
Having finished my career at Northampton, I became director of sport at Cranmore Prep School in Surrey. After a number of years, I once again found myself back at university, this time in Buckingham, studying for a PGCE and MEd in Leadership. Similar to other sportsmen, I relish a new challenge and enjoy pushing the boundaries so more recently, I changed role and became Assistant Head to focus more on the academics at the school.
Recently, I had the opportunity to reminisce with Brendan Venter about the London Irish ‘golden years'. The highpoint was the 2002 Powergen Cup win – one of those rare sporting occasions where we found ourselves with a healthy cushion entering the second half so we could savour the moment before the final whistle.
I'm not very reflective about my on-field achievements, or any stats, although it goes without saying that I am immensely proud to be one of the top five points scorers in Premiership.
With regards to goal kicking, focusing on the basics is always rewarding. It's easy to get caught up in the moment or allow pressure to hamper your performance but most importantly you must remember the three basic elements of a kick remain the same – there's just a ball, a kicking tee and a target. Stripping it back to those fundamentals certainly helped me to remain consistent.
Possibly my best kicking performance came in the Powergen semi-final win against Harlequins. I remember warming up in gale-force conditions and back then the Stoop was different to how it is now with some open ended stands fueling strong crosswinds.
The ball shifted about 10 yards from left to right from the moment it was kicked but thankfully, it was one of those days where I couldn't miss, converting both tries and slotting six penalties to ensure we progressed through to the final at Twickenham.
I was part of the Ireland squad that played against Western Samoa in November 2001 but playing overseas meant that opportunities to represent your country were limited. However, I have no regrets and I really enjoyed my time at London Irish.
In 2007/08 my wife and I were debating if we should move our family to a more rural location so when Paul Grayson invited me to spend a few years with Northampton Saints, we decided the time was right to move.
Professional rugby has changed dramatically and careers are getting shorter due to the increased physicality. One of the most difficult decisions a player has to make is when to hang up the boots.
I was lucky to retire on my own terms before a long-term injury struck and I feel blessed that my body is in good enough shape to go for a Sunday morning run with my three girls.
*As told to Jon Newcombe