Feaunati calls it a day
Thu, 01 May 2008 15:46
Bath Rugby and Samoan No.8 Zak Feaunati has announced he will be retiring from professional Rugby at the end of the season to pursue new challenges in education.
The 34-year-old, who has been a mainstay of the Bath Rugby squad since arriving at the Rec in 2003, will hang up his boots after the completion of Bath's Guinness Premiership and European Challenge Cup campaign to take up the post of Head of Rugby at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield.
Feaunati joined Bath from Leeds in the summer 2003 and was a key figure in the west-country side's drive to reach the Premiership Final in his first season.
Best known for his rampaging runs and powerful drives from the back of the scrum, Feaunati has been one of the Premiership's most consistent performers in recent seasons, so far amassing 129 appearances for Bath, scoring 18 tries.
The Samoan, who played in Bath's last three major finals, says that he hopes
to sign off his career by helping his beloved club finally lift that elusive silverware.
"I have been playing in the Guinness Premiership since 1997 and never won any silverware in that competition. It would therefore be ideal if I could finish my last season in Bath with that."
Although he will not be pulling on the Bath jersey again, he will not be turning his back on the Recreation Ground for good, as he fully intends to keep in regular contact with the host of friends that he has made during his five year stint at the club, including fellow Samoans Jonny Faamatuainu and Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, who have branded the powerful back row star 'the Samoan Sultan'.
"I will still see all of the guys and will use some of the players for coaching and training at the school. I will be back down at Bath a lot and staying in touch with the guys. We will all stay close."
Zak is currently in superb form and was prominent during
Bath's victory over Sale Sharks in the European Challenge Cup semifinal victory at the Recreation Ground last week and forwards coach Mark Bakewell hailed Feaunati's contribution to the club's cause.
"Zak has brought an enormous amount of experiences to the club and has been a father figure to the forwards," said Bakewell. "His presence has given a mental edge over the opposition through his ruthless and abrasive nature on the pitch and he is a player that the team has fed off.
"He is uncompromising in his approach to the game and that instills a lot of confidence in those around him.
"The Bath pack has become renowned in Europe and Zak has been an integral component in building that reputation. That aside, he is a real gent and a great guy and we wish him and his family all the best for the future."
Feaunati will take up his new position working with Bishop Vesey's Grammar School's Rugby teams on June 2, just two
days after the Guinness Premiership Final at Twickenham and he says that he is looking forward to passing on the wealth of his considerable experience to young players.
"Coaching is something that I have always wanted to do and this was an offer that I could not turn down. I am really looking forward to taking my career experience in rugby to the School and making these students not only better rugby players, but also better people, and I think rugby can do that."
