Billy Guyton puts family ahead of footy
It was a case of family over footy for Billy Guyton.
As the Mako veteran found himself unable to play with his daughter due to concussion symptoms, he knew it was time to hang up the boots.
BY JONTY DINE
The 28-year-old says when he was sleeping for most of the day while taking care of his two-and-a-half-year-old girl Uri, the body was telling him it’s time.
"Life after rugby has started to become a lot more important now which was my main reason for leaving the game,” Billy says.
The decision to leave the game he loves was not made lightly.
"It was a bloody tough decision, I still don’t like that I have had to make it, but I know it is the best thing for my health and family.”
Billy says he had been contemplating retirement for a month before he officially announced it on September 23, following his latest setback.
"I got back into Mako training and was going well, I was planning on being back for the Taranaki game (September 14) and then when I did my contact training the next day was a bad one, I had headaches for the whole day and my fatigue levels had bumped up.”
He says he started asking himself 'when will the next one happen, and will I be able to do all those things I want to do with my family?'
Billy sought advice from former players who had suffered head knocks.
"They were finding it tough now later in life which mad e it a lot easier to step away, my daughter is at that age where she is wanting to explore everything, and you have got to be onto it.”
He says there would be a number of everyday activities that would trigger his concussion symptoms.
"Watching TV would bring on headaches, doing too many tasks, loud noises, some days I would need noise cancelling headphones or I would feel nauseous and have blurry or double vision, it was not very fun.”
Billy’s latest head knock came during a premier club game for Waimea Old Boys.
"I was going into a ruck and the side of my head caught someone’s knee on the way down.”
Billy brushed it off as just a bump.
"I carried on playing then with ten min to go I felt really off the game, I didn’t want to be out there and I was starting to lose my vision. I finished the game and straight after my head just started pounding, it was excruciating.”
Billy Guyton playing for Waimea Old Boys earlier this year. Photo: Evan Barnes/Shttersport NZ
Having also retired due to head knocks, Billy also spoke with former Mako captain and current defensive coach, Shane Christie.
"We have been good mates for years, I talked to him about it and once he heard my reasons, he felt it was the right choice.”
Billy says it was a bittersweet moment calling curtains on his career.
"There was a lot of emotion, but it gave me a good chance to reflect on what I had done so there was a sense of pride.”
He says while it is hard sitting on the sidelines, he is reveling in the success of the Mako who currently sit on top of the Mitre 10 Cup premiership table.
Billy plans to remain involved with the franchise and help develop the younger players such as young up and coming halfback Jack Grooby.
He says winning the championship in 2013 with the Mako was a career highlight as was winning the heartland championship with North Otago in 2010.
The livewire scrumhalf played for three Super Rugby franchises but says the proudest moment for his family was pulling on the black fern.
"Becoming a Maori All Black was awesome and a very proud moment for my family.”
Looking ahead at life after footy, Billy says he wants to create a rugby development academy.
"I want it to be not position specific but about basic skills, passing, catching, tackling, the clean-out etc, hopefully pass some of the knowledge I have.
He says he also wants to work around the psychological aspect of the game.
Billy battled bi-polar throughout his career, a fight that has inspired him to help other players struggling with mental illness.
He says not knowing what he was dealing with made his journey all the more difficult.
"I knew I had something wrong when I was with North Otago, but I thought it was more in that depression/anxiety area, just because I didn’t understand.”
Billy says this greatly effected his game.
"All the self-doubt creeps in, you tell yourself other reasons for why you aren’t getting picked instead of admitting what the real problem is.”
He says he would struggle outside the rugby environment and without routine would slip into bad habits.
"I put on and dropped weight for no reason which was a problem in Super Rugby environments, I was either too heavy or too light.”
Billy says after finally seeking the right help and medication, he was actually looking forward to the season without that self-doubt.
He says he hopes to work with players effected by mental illness, so they don’t feel the same sense of isolation.
"Find people you can talk to, it doesn’t have to be family or friends, just anyone you can trust who is willing to listen.”
Billy by the numbers:
-52 appearances for the Mako scoring 92 points.
-16 Super Rugby games for three franchises Hurricanes, Crusaders and Blues, scoring ten points.
-29 appearances and 89 points for North Otago in the Heartland Championship
Photo: mako.nz
