Stef Thorp has no intention of becoming a stranger at Avery Fields after his emotional farewell appearance on Saturday.
The tighthead prop had the honour of leading Bournville out before kick-off against Clifton for the final home National Two West match of the season alongside fellow departing front-row colleagues, James Weaver and James Burgoyne, and then left to a standing ovation – with team-mates and opponents alike applauding him for the pitch – when he was replaced late in the second-half.
A snapped ankle ligament, sustained against Exeter University last month and which will require surgery over the summer, and a split boot were among the reasons for Thorp deciding to bring down the curtain on an illustrious career.
Although Thorp’s final season of senior rugby has coincided with Bourns being relegated to Regional One Midlands he has enjoyed his two seasons at Avery Fields and is now looking forward to supporting the team from the touchline and, possibly, still making an occasional appearance for the Blues, the club’s second XV.
“This club has reminded me what a proper rugby club is. I have really enjoyed the last two years which is something that I didn’t think I would get because the body was creaking,” Thorp said.
“At 36 I’m high mileage and when your boot goes it’s probably a sign that you are done Stef. Tape it up for the last few games and then you can throw it in the bin and relax.
“Although we have been relegated the club is in a good place. A lot of the boys have signed up for next season. It’s a tough league but it will be enjoyable with all the local derbies.
“It will be nice watching standing on the sidelines with a beer and watching. I’m definitely going to come down and hopefully watch the boys get back up to this level.
“I need to have an operation over the summer because I snapped an ankle tendon against Exeter a few other things in the ankle that need fixing. Once that’s been done there might be the odd cameo for the Blues.”
Thorp’s career began at Dudley Kingswinford before he was signed by Birmingham Moseley followed by an eight year stint with Stourbridge for whom he made more than 150 appearances. He joined Bournville two years ago and maintained his reputation as one of the most ferocious scrummagers in the National Leagues.
He also won representative honours with North Midlands, including an appearance at Twickenham in the 2013 County Championship Plate final defeat by Northumberland, and also guested for Worcester Warriors in a pre-season match against Munster and for their second XV in the Premiership A League.
With approaching 400 matches in his career, Thorp has plenty of happy memories to take into retirement with Bournville’s last-gasp 50-43 victory against Taunton Titans in January, secured by Nathan Decalmer’s spectacular length-of-the-pitch try, one of the highlights.
“There are loads of highlights but the one thing that really sticks in the mind is the Taunton game here. There are not many games you win in that fashion against a side pushing for the top spaces in the league,” he said.
“It wasn’t just that one try it was the two or three tries that led up to it in that last five or ten minutes.
“That was definitely the highlight of this season and the one that sticks out more than any other.”
When he reflects on his career there will be just one regret from Thorp and that is that he had to give up the chance to represent his country when he was forced to withdraw from an England Counties tour to Belgium 12 years ago.
“If there is one regret from my career it’s probably that I didn’t get to play for England Counties,” Thorp said,
“I got called up to go to Belgium in 2013 but the day they were due to fly out I had a shoulder operation booked. I had just signed a contract extension with Moseley so I went with the get back fit for Moseley option which was probably the right thing to do.”
