At 16, Adam put an apprenticeship on hold to be a rugby pro. When he was ready, it was right there waiting for him

When the whistle blew on Adam Parkins’ professional rugby career, he made a canny conversion – to a welding apprenticeship. “At school I was looking at apprenticeships but, at 16, I got offered a place at Leicester Tigers’ training academy,” says Adam, now 32, from Leabrooks, Derbyshire. “The world was my oyster.” 1 Success story: Adam loves his job as a welder at JCB Adam was then signed by Northampton Saints as a tighthead prop, making his senior professional debut on loan to Derby Rugby Club. “All my family came to my first home game to watch me walk out… Read Full Article