James Lowe’s love of life and rugby is well grounded.
Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis as a teenager, the Leinster winger’s youthful exuberance came under threat. From hours of rugby practice after school to being bedridden for months at a time, life became very confusing.
“I was very active as a kid, and the one thing I was really good at was sports. Sport was good for me. It kept me out of trouble, and that kept my parents happy.
“The arthritis happened so quickly that my dad reckoned I was joking,” Lowe recalls. “He thought I was over sport and tried to scare me out of that mindset by threatening me with moving schools and stuff!
“To be honest, I was kind of happy that I could stay at home and play the PlayStation all day, things like that. But looking back now, I can remember nights sitting by the fire because the warmth would help me to move. I remember being carried to the toilet, showered, and bathed. It was a weird stage of life.
“When the diagnosis finally came, I went through a pretty tough patch. It was something that presented me with a real physical and mental challenge. It took almost two years before medication began to fix it.
“Coming through that, I realised how lucky I was to be able to play rugby. To be able to get through it, develop resilience and stay true to myself. Man, I’m pretty lucky to be here now.”
Speaking as an Ambassador for Tackle Your Feelings, which Rugby Players Ireland runs in partnership with Zurich and the Z Zurich Foundation, Lowe’s approach to life embodies the new direction of the campaign.
“Every dark cloud has a silver lining, which is something that has always resonated with me,” the former Chiefs winger states. “Could be a lot worse, could always be better. Bad things happen to good people all the time. It’s about learning from those and understanding you’re not the only one. Understanding you’ve got friends that will sit there and listen.
“Especially as a male, you probably don’t talk and think your feelings are just for you. But don’t let things bottle up. It’s easier to get them off your chest early than to watch them explode later.”
Throughout his health problems, Lowe’s support network was undoubtedly a vital resource. However, after moving to Dublin in 2017, he opted to leave his safety net behind. It was a brave move, but his adventurous nature was not dimmed.
“I had the opportunity at 25 to move to the other side of the world and play rugby. You tell me that when I was 14 years old, I’d tell you to… You know!
“My parents took a while to come around to the idea [of the move], but when they visited last year, they saw that my girlfriend and I were settled and happy,” Lowe adds. “It’s just the two of us over this side. We’re relatively young, but I think we’re quite mature in dealing with things. Anyways, with technology these days, I can talk to friends and family quite easily if I need to lean on them.
“Yeah, it was tough to leave home, but I was coming to one of the most exciting cities in the world. All my friends went to Uni, moved out of home, had their fun and learned a lot about themselves while I was still chasing this rugby dream. And now, I mean, I’m in Dublin, and they’re planning on coming to see me play!”
While moving to the other side of the world would have presented its own practical challenges, playing for one of the biggest club sides in the world also brought pressure and responsibility. Most people were excited at the thought of seeing one of New Zealand’s brightest prospects on these shores, but some couldn’t wait to knock him down.
“When I was red carded down at Munster, it wasn’t ideal,” Lowe admits. “People come after you and try to pick at anything they can. Anything they see. Anything they smell. But I don’t lose sleep over it anymore. It was weighing me down, so I cut the rope.
“It’s all part and parcel of being a rugby player,” Lowe adds. “It’s actually a very privileged position to be in. To have people talk and write about you, good or bad, shows the kind of impact that you have. I’ve learned to walk towards it instead of hanging back.
“We’re a professional rugby team that gets judged by our 80-minute performance on a Saturday, but there are so many parts that you have to try and navigate to make sure that you can perform. Whether it’s getting your body right, form, family or the stresses of life – you have to try and make sure that you put yourself in the best position so that come Saturday, all you’re thinking about is playing rugby. The thing that you’re here to do.”
Lowe’s sunny disposition lends itself nicely to the rugby field. Love or loath him, his infectious energy puts bums on seats but doesn’t allow them to get too comfortable there.
“Since I’ve been here, it has been an awesome time. But days like that red card or the Champions Cup Final in Newcastle serve as reminders that it isn’t going to last forever.
“You might smash someone one day, and then next week you get smashed. It’s understanding and making sure you don’t get smashed too much and that when you smash someone you don’t celebrate too hard either. Everyone has their sunny days, that’s how I see things.
“Perspective is this awesome thing. When you get up early for training, you might be tired and sore. But you just think, ‘holy crap! It’s all pretty good, you know!”
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