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Finn Russell will prolong his playing career for as long as possible with the role of Scotland’s chief conductor at the 2027 World Cup firmly in his sights.
Scotland’s co-captain has been revitalised by a summer break after being stood down from the recent tour to North and South America in order to mentally refresh ahead of a season that he hopes ends with the Lions’ expedition to Australia.
It is a very different feeling to the 2021-22 campaign when he was burnt out by the rugby treadmill, resulting in a loss of form, a weight gain of eight kilos and self-reflection over his international future.
Now enjoying being in his “best shape for a long time”, partly as a result of the demands of the birth of his second daughter in January, the dazzling Bath fly-half views retirement as a distant prospect.
“I’ll be turning 35 during the next World Cup and I’m definitely planning on making that tournament,” said Russell, at an event hosted by TNT Sports.
“I am 32 next month and everyone is asking ‘what are you going to do after?’. But I’m thinking I’ve still got six or seven years to go.
“I’ve not got any notion of retiring any time soon, from either rugby or international rugby. I’m going to play as long as I can.
“Some players might have an idea that at 34 they will call it a day and get a job, but as long as I’m still enjoying it and playing well, there’s no point in me stopping.
“You get a lot of lows in sport but the highs you get you can’t get anywhere else. And having young kids now, I’d love for them to be old enough to remember some of my career. So I might have to play until I’m 45 if I have another one!”
Russell has been building a property portfolio in Scotland to provide financial security in retirement, funded by a Bath contract that earns him a reported £1million every year.
It has been money well spent by Bath given that in his first season Russell helped steer the club into the Gallagher Premiership final, where they lost narrowly to Northampton.
When he does eventually hang up his boots, a typically maverick coaching role offers greatest appeal.
“I just want to set everything up while I am playing so I can finish when I want to and not be forced into something,” Russell said.
“If I was to do coaching, I would like to be a consultant coach, helping younger 10s coming through.
“I have got a slightly different mindset to a lot of players. I can make a mistake and as I’ve done it, I’ve forgotten about it pretty much.
“Trying to get that mindset across to others is something I would quite like because a lot of young players go into their shell quite quickly.”
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