Jason Robinson England Captain

The fresh injury to Jonny Wilkinson means that Jason Robinson, who deputised for Wilkinson in the autumn internationals, will continue as England captain for at least the early games in the Six-Nations.

Jason created something of a stir when offered the captaincy against Canada in November by declining to give head coach, Andy Robinson, an answer until he had prayed about it.

Jason said this week in a press interview, “You can argue that we are more vulnerable than for some time, but the great thing about this England team is the strength in depth.  We will give every team in this championship the respect they deserve, but our only concern at the moment is getting off to a good start.”. 

One thing is for sure, the captain will be leading from the front.

Coming to faith

At 21, Jason was on top of the world.  He had fame and fortune as an international rugby player - but inside he was empty.  On the outside things looked great, but inside his life was in a mess. He got through his life only with the help of a bottle.

"In 1994 the Wigan players heard that the club had signed the New Zealand All Black star, Va'aiga Tuigamala.  Jason recalls, "We knew that he was good player but beyond that we didn't know much about him.  We had heard that he was a born-again Christian and we were interested to see how that would work out.”  Little did Jason realise the impact that Inga would have on his life over the next few years.

“I just observed him for a few months.  He was different from the rest of us.  We would be out drinking a lot; our talk was different and our way of life.  What struck me most was that he was such a happy guy.  He was at peace with himself.  He had something special about him.  I didn't quite know what it was, but I knew he had something that I wanted.

“He never pushed his views on me, but if I ever wanted someone to talk to he would always be there for me.  He spoke to me by how he lived, much more than by anything he said.”

When one day Inga told Jason that he had had a dream about him, Jason was amused and also intrigued.  He asked what the dream was about.  "I could see you standing on top of the world.  You had the world at your feet but gradually the world started crumbling beneath your feet."  Jason was amazed. It was uncannily true.

The dream stopped him in his tracks.  He knew that he had to get his life sorted out. It was just the jolt that he needed. Jason’s assessment of his life at that stage was…

“I was extremely successful at my job.  I was financially secure.  I had everything material that I could want but I had relationship problems.  I did have the world at my feet but surely and certainly it was crumbling. I was having great success on the park but off it my problems were overpowering me.

“It got to the stage that I would be out drinking six nights a week.  On the outside everything was great.  I was earning a lot of money, I had a fast car, nice clothes. People wanted to be associated with me. People probably thought, 'I want what he's got', but inside I was empty. I was searching for something.  I was looking for happiness in money, in possessions, in drinking, in relationships.  But none of these could fill the space within me.

“Drinking was a vicious circle.  I had problems so I drank, yet the more I drank, the more problems I had, and the more problems I had, the more I drank.  I was getting away with it because on the field I was playing as well as ever.

“I was in a relationship where I had a child and the relationship broke up.  Then I started a relationship with a girl called Amanda.  We split up - because of my drinking - but she was pregnant.  This brought things to a head.”

"Some time after they had split up, Amanda phoned Jason and really got stuck into him, telling him what she thought of him and how he had messed her up. Jason was not particularly sympathetic.  About a week later Amanda rang again.

“She got stuck into me again and told me things that were true but that I didn't want to hear or accept.  But this time I really got convicted by what she said.   For the first time I saw clearly the mess that I had caused and the hurt I had caused to other people.  I could see myself for exactly what I was.  It was a painful experience.”

That night Jason hardly slept.  Throughout the night he wept and wept.  Part of it was self-pity but part of it was that he really did want to change.   For the first time he realised that he could not go on living as he was.  “I knew it wasn't right.  I knew that there must be more to life than working all week then going out drinking every night.  The pleasures were very short-lived. It was just a quick fix.

“Next morning I was still in a state.  I rang a friend who was a Christian and said, 'I can't go on like this.  I don't want to live like this.  I need help.' He invited me round to his office and I went immediately.  He asked, 'Do you want to invite Jesus into your heart?'

“I just knew that I could not continue what I was doing.  That morning I asked Jesus into my life.  The words from the Bible  ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28), summed up exactly how I was feeling.  At that moment, when I gave my life to the Lord, I felt a burden lifted.  I went out of the office that morning smiling.  That was the last thing I had thought I would be doing for a while.”

England’s programme in the Six Nations

Saturday 5 February     Wales v England  5.30pm

Sunday  13 February  England v France  3.00pm

Sunday 27 February Ireland v England 3.00pm

Saturday 12 March England v Italy 4.00pm

Saturday 19 March England v Scotland 6.00pm

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