At 5' 7", Peter Stringer has always been one of the smallest players on the pitch. When he was young, his size compared to opposition players was of such concern to his parents that they seriously considered having him undergo human growth hormone treatment.
A cousin of Stringer's had the treatment with some success which led to his parents giving it consideration.
In a column for the Irish Times, the former Munster player tells of railing against the idea and how he believes it could have impeded his professional rugby career.
Not only could I have turned into a different person, it might have detracted from my game as a scrumhalf. Or I could have outgrown scrumhalf altogether and never been suited to another position, which would almost certainly have been the case.
No regrets. Who wants to be the same as everyone else, anyway? My size, and my stubbornness about not undergoing that procedure, make me prouder of my career.
You can read the full column here.
Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE
