Should the England players or coaching staff ever need inspiration on how to approach the tough times, they can find it in a conversation with their new New Zealand coach, Andrew Strawbridge, who nearly died ‘several times’ in 2015.
The 60-year-old recruit to Steve Borthwick’s Red Rose management team has spoken about how he was struck by what he calls “a horrible little thing” – sepsis – and how he has lived to tell the tale. He is braving a bleak medical prognosis and the loss of his sight in one eye to work in Test rugby and is aiming to raise awareness of the widespread scourge of a blood poisoning disease that kills eight million people worldwide every year.
When Strawbridge returned to New Zealand with his new employers, he told what had happened to him nine years ago. It was a heartbreaking episode. ‘I went to Samoa to help them with the World Cup and I got sick on the plane,’ he said. ‘I had a little graze on my eye. I got a little infection at the airport – the superbug. By the time I got to Samoa I was feeling pretty bad (sick). I was taken to hospital and sent home with oral antibiotics.
“I don’t remember anything else. What happened was the infection got into my body, I was left alone for 20 hours and I developed sepsis. Blood clots formed in my brain and behind my eye. I went through some pretty grim times.
“My wife was called to Samoa to take the body home, in fact. I think I was resuscitated three times during that process. She (Laura, his wife) had to hear some pretty horrible things, which you don’t want to hear about a husband.”
England’s new manager Andrew Strawbridge has revealed he was struck down with sepsis nine years ago
Strawbridge developed sepsis after being left unattended for 20 hours after contracting an infection while in Samoa
The 60-year-old admitted he nearly died “several times” and was told he would no longer work due to chronic fatigue
In a remarkable twist, a Kiwi doctor was nearby to come to his aid. Without that good fortune, Strawbridge doesn’t think he would have survived.
“I was very lucky,” he said. “There was a man there called Dave Galler – the head of intensive care at one of the big hospitals here in Auckland. He happened to be there because his wife was on secondment there as a judge, so he came to help, and that’s why I’m still alive.
‘It was a pretty grim situation in the ICU there. They had a high mortality rate, especially in children. I’m here because people worked really hard with pretty average equipment to keep me alive. Then we went back to New Zealand and eventually I was well enough to leave the hospital.’
While coming home was a positive breakthrough, it was far from the end of Strawbridge’s ordeal. Then came the appointment that fueled his stubborn refusal to accept his fate. “I went to the infectious disease specialist who told me what my life was going to be like,” he added.
‘I was told I would suffer from chronic fatigue for the rest of my life and that I would be unable to work, that I would be impotent and that they didn’t know how long I would last. These were all good things to say to a competitive asshole! So I went home with the ringing in my ears and limped on.
Strawbridge lost his sight in one eye but returned to rugby in roles with the Chiefs and New Zealand
New Zealand’s Calen Clarke, right, hugs Strawbridge, who worked as a skills coach with the All Blacks during their run to the Rugby World Cup final last year
‘I had to go to a psychologist because when you almost die multiple times, they want you to talk to someone. So I did. He was a really good person and explained to me how I might look at things a little differently and that I wouldn’t tolerate fools and that I would tell people that a little bit more directly. The ‘no s**t, Sherlock’ approach. I think the process has made me a better listener.’
Strawbridge lost the sight in his right eye after his optic nerve was ‘crushed’. He joked that he was probably the only skills coach in the world who can’t catch a ball properly now. It’s clear that humour has helped his attempts to rebuild his life, but there’s another factor. ‘I’ve rediscovered a love of music because the bagpipes in intensive care were driving me crazy,’ he joked.
“My daughter sends me a lot of music. The last song she sent me was Prep School Gangsters by Vampire Weekend. That was the last song I listened to. I go to shows when I can. I just got tickets to see Greta Van Fleet. They’re like Led Zeppelin, but all 20-21. The lead singer is like Robert Plant. That’s going to be my next show.”
He has been involved with a sepsis charity in New Zealand, because he has heard so many stories of people dying, or losing limbs and their lives being ‘inexorably changed’. He has also, contrary to that first medical prediction, worked in rugby again; with the Chiefs and the All Blacks and now with England.
Before Covid hit, Strawbridge was set to join Steve Borthwick at Leicester, but the global pandemic put paid to plans. However, the national team head coach got back in touch late last year.
He worked as an advisor to England during the Six Nations before joining as assistant coach and coaching advisor for the summer tour of Japan and New Zealand.
Strawbridge was initially set to join forces with Steve Borthwick at Leicester but has now joined his England team
“When I got back from the World Cup, where I had been working with New Zealand, I got a call from Steve who wanted to talk about New Zealand’s progress through the World Cup and how they had improved,” Strawbridge said. “So we did that and a couple of days later he called again and wanted to talk more, then he wanted to get his assistant coaches into the chat.
‘I said, “This is starting to look a bit like work, think about what you want.” So Steve called and said, “Can you come down for a month for the pre-Six Nations and just have a look around and feel it out and see if you can add anything of value? I went down and at that point I had a couple of job offers on the table, so we talked about going down there and doing some stuff.
“It seemed like they could put up with me and I was quite impressed with the plan for the group, the effort the coaches were putting in and the players were willing to put in, and the open and honest environment. So when he suggested coming back for a while, that appealed to me.”
He’s on board until the end of next year, despite having only a vague idea of his true role and remit. “I’m trying to figure it out a bit,” he joked. “It’s a young coaching group and I’m literally a grey beard. I’m an old man who’s made a lot of mistakes and people should learn from them. I’m happy to share. Strawbridge has a lot to share – from technical know-how to musical opinions to wisdom and inspiration about the triumph of the human spirit. The man and his story can make a difference.