On the day Steve Borthwick offered Jamie George the England captaincy, the 33-year-old was digesting the news that his mother Jane had been diagnosed with cancer. With every possible emotion swirling inside him, George had to weigh whether he could accept the offer given such personal circumstances.
But Jane, the “world’s biggest rugby fan” whose passionate support for her son resonates equally loudly on school grounds and vast stadiums, told him she had not made a firm decision. When George captained England for the first time against Italy, Jane texted him to say it was the proudest day of his life, but he was now too ill to attend the matches. Four days after the diagnosis turned terminal, Jane passed away on February 14.
“It was really hard,” George said. “The day I found out I was going to be England captain I found out about his cancer diagnosis, so it was a pretty complicated day. We’ve been going through a lot as a family for a long time. The deterioration he went through was really rapid.
“My mum was absolutely devastated when I told my mum and dad I was captain and I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do or not given the circumstances. He said, ‘You can’t bear this because of me,’ and my father has been in the same situation since his death. He passed away on Wednesday and Thursday. I went home and my dad said: ‘Do you think you can take part in this training? “I think it would be good for you to go back to the boys.”
Part of George’s mission was to make England fans proud of their team again, and he witnessed this first-hand through his mother’s experience. “He was the biggest rugby fan in the world, he loved this team, he loved watching me play, he never missed a game,” George said. “The message I received from him before my first match [as captain] something I will cherish forever. He said this was the proudest day of his life, considering how much he had gone through to be able to leave a smile on his face.
“When I first became captain I talked a lot about showing how important it is for you to play for England and what an amazing impact you can have on people’s lives. I saw this first hand. My mother was on her deathbed and she was talking about the England rugby team and how proud she was of me for being able to do what I did. This is absolutely incredible. “He’ll be with me in some capacity on Saturday and that means a lot to me.”
George’s mother was his biggest fan, watching all his matches as a schoolboy until this year’s Six Nations when she became too ill to attend games in person. Sometimes his passion was too much for his son to handle. “We had a few heated arguments,” George said. “When I first started playing rugby, especially when I started playing professional rugby, it was pretty vocal. It must have been a difficult transition; You go from watching your son play in front of 12 people at Haileybury School to playing in front of 20,000 people for Saracens at Vicarage Road the following year. Even though he was sitting in a family box with everyone around him, his voice level did not change!”
Borthwick asked George if he needed some time away from the game and checked in on his mental health every day. Yet George had no doubt that he wanted to play at Murrayfield, especially since that was what George wanted him to do.
“These thoughts enter your mind [taking time out] But that wasn’t what he wanted me to do; In fact, that was the last thing he wanted me to do,” George said. “This wasn’t what I wanted to do. I feel very privileged to do what I do and I hope the boys accept that I am able to fulfill my role as captain and fulfill my role as a player in this team.
“It’s not an ideal situation to be in, but there was never any doubt in my mind that I wanted to be in this game. This is what my mother would have wanted. Wherever he is now, he will tell everyone there that his son is England captain. I know a fact that means a lot to him.
George’s father, uncle, brothers and cousin will attend Murrayfield on Saturday and George openly admits it will be an emotional event. “Every time I played I wanted to make my family proud,” George said. “That was a big push for me. This situation will not change this weekend; It will probably improve further this weekend. It will be emotional for me to come out. It will be the first game where he won’t be there. He couldn’t come to watch the first two matches, which was a difficult situation in itself.
“Making my friends and family proud has always been my motivation. It will probably increase a little more this weekend, but when you step on the field, it is a great feeling to be able to forget everything that happened from a distance, to actually forget everything that happened. previously.
“Of course I’m going to use my motivation, I want to win for him and I want to win in his memory as much as possible but I’m fully aware that Scotland won’t let us do that. “It would be a great story if it happened, it would be a great situation for my family but whatever the result is, I want to make him proud “I go there to make sure the rest of my family is happy, too. The stands are proud too.”
Borthwick, who now works with George at both the club (Saracens) and the country, described the hooker as “one of the strongest people I’ve ever met”.
He said: “I played under Jamie at Saracens for a few years and continued (coaching) in England; Jamie’s brother also worked for Saracens and I knew Jamie’s mother quite well. He would give you the biggest hug after games. He was an incredible person and it was a very sad loss. He was in every one of Jamie’s games as far back as I can remember. The same thing happened when Jamie arrived. There are a lot of players who grew up with Jamie and know his family. That’s why it influenced many players.
“Jamie George has a power that I think some people underestimate. He has extraordinary silent strength, and this is one of the greatest assets that makes him an excellent captain. It had to be really strong. All the players are behind him and supporting him. “I would describe him as one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.”
