If England players and staff need inspiration on how to show mental strength in the face of adversity, they will find it in our conversation with new Kiwis boss Andrew Strawbridge, who almost died ‘multiple times’ in 2015.
The 60-year-old, who was recruited by Steve Borthwick’s Red Rose management team, has told how he suffered sepsis, which he calls ‘an ugly little thing’, and survived to tell the story. Despite a grim medical diagnosis and the loss of sight in one eye, he is working in Test rugby and is keen to highlight the widespread scourge of the blood-poisoning disease that kills eight million people worldwide every year.
Back in New Zealand with his new employer, Strawbridge recalled what had happened to him nine years earlier. It was a devastating episode. “I went to Samoa to help with the World Cup and got sick on the plane,” he said. “I had a bit of a scratch on my eye. I got a bit of a superbug infection at the airport. I was pretty sick when I got to Samoa. I was taken to hospital, put on oral antibiotics and sent home.
‘I don’t remember anything else. What happened was, I got an infection, I was left for about 20 hours, I got sepsis. I had blood clots in my brain and behind my eyes. It was a pretty dark time.
‘My wife was taken to Samoa and her body was taken home. I think she was resuscitated three times during the process. She (Laura, his wife) heard horrible things about her spouse that she didn’t want to hear.’
New England manager Andrew Strawbridge has spoken about his experience with sepsis nine years ago.
Strawbridge contracted the infection while in Samoa and was left in isolation for more than 20 hours, succumbing to sepsis.
The 60-year-old admitted he had nearly died “many times” and was told he would never be able to work again due to chronic fatigue.
In a surprising twist, a Kiwi doctor happened to be in the area and helped him. Without that bit of luck, Strawbridge doesn’t think he would have survived.
‘I was very lucky,’ he said. ‘There was a guy named Dave Galler. He was the ICU director at one of the big hospitals in Auckland. His wife happened to be there on a secondment as a judge, and he came and helped me. That’s why I’m still alive.
‘It was a pretty grim situation in the ICU (infirmary). The mortality rate was high, especially among children. People worked really hard with pretty basic equipment to keep me alive, so I’m still here. Then we came back to New Zealand and I eventually recovered enough to leave the hospital.’
The return home was a positive breakthrough, but Strawbridge’s ordeal was far from over. Then came the appointment that fueled his stubborn refusal to accept his fate. “I went to see an infectious disease specialist who told me what my life was going to be like,” he added.
‘I was told I would have chronic fatigue for the rest of my life, I would never be able to work again, I would have erectile dysfunction, and I didn’t know how long I would last. All the best things to say to a competitive guy! So I went home and staggered with those words ringing in my ears.
Strawbridge lost the sight in one eye but returned to rugby for Chiefs and New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Calen Clarke (right) hugs Strawbridge, who was the All Blacks’ technical coach as they reached the Rugby World Cup final last year.
‘I had to see a psychologist. When you’ve been on the verge of death so many times, the psychologist wants you to talk to someone. So I did. He was a really nice guy, and he explained to me how I could see the world a little differently, and not be so willing to put up with fools, and be a little more honest with people. It was a “don’t be a jerk, Sherlock” approach. I think going through that process made me a better listener.’
Strawbridge lost sight in his right eye after his optic nerve was ‘destroyed’. He jokes that he is probably the only skills coach in the world who can’t catch a ball properly. While humour has certainly helped him rebuild his life, there was another factor. He jokes that ‘I found my love of music again because playing piped music in the intensive care unit drove me crazy.’
‘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 ever heard. I go to shows whenever I can. I just bought tickets to Greta van Fleet. They’re like Led Zeppelin, but they’re all 20 or 21. The lead singer is Robert Plant. That’s my next show.’
He has been involved with the Sepsis Foundation in New Zealand and has heard stories of people dying or losing limbs and their lives being ‘turned upside down’. And contrary to those early medical predictions, he has returned to rugby – with the Chiefs, the All Blacks and now England.
Before the pandemic, Strawbridge was due to work with Steve Borthwick at Leicester, but the plans were derailed by the global pandemic. However, the national team manager got back in touch late last year.
He served as a consultant for England during the Six Nations tournament before joining as head coach and coaching advisor for the summer tour to Japan and New Zealand.
Strawbridge was originally due to work with Steve Borthwick at Leicester but has now joined the England squad.
‘I came back from the World Cup and worked with New Zealand and Steve called me up to talk about how New Zealand had progressed and improved since the World Cup,’ Strawbridge said. ‘So I did and a few days later he called me back and wanted to talk more and wanted to get his assistant coach involved in the chat.
‘I said, “This is starting to feel like a bit of a job. Figure out what you want to do.” Then Steve called and said, “Why don’t you come and look around for a month before the Six Nations and see if you have something to add?” I went there, and there were a couple of job offers at the time, so we talked about going there and doing something.
‘They seemed to be able to tolerate me and I was quite impressed with the plan for the group, the effort the coaches put in, the effort the players were prepared to put in and the open and honest environment. So when he asked me to come back for a little longer, it was appealing.’
He will continue to work until the end of next year, despite having a vague idea of his actual role and authority. ‘I’m trying to figure it out,’ he joked. ‘It’s a young coaching group and I’m literally a white-bearded man. I’m an old man who’s made a lot of mistakes and people have to learn from that. I’m happy to share that. 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.
