Simon Whatling has made just seven starts since joining last summer

Cornish Pirates centre Simon Whatling says he is delighted to be playing again after recovering from a serious shoulder injury.

Whatling kicked a drop-goal on his return to National League One action in the Pirates' 56-14 win over Sedgley Park on Sunday.

He joined the club in the summer of 2007 and only played six games before getting injured against Pertemps Bees.

"It's been the toughest 13 months of my life," he told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"On and off the pitch I have had to be at the club seeing training and watching on a Sunday afternoon which was always frustrating."

For them to be told that one of the players that they've just signed has completely blown his shoulder and might never play rugby again - for them to stick by me has been brilliant Cornish Pirates centre Simon Whatling

And the 24-year-old, who joined the club from Premiership side Worcester, says he tried everything to try and get his shoulder back to full strength.

"I've done pretty much everything you can think of. Swimming, surfing, stuff in the gym, massage, cycling, you name it, I've done it," he said.

After being told by a consultant that he would be lucky to have 80% movement back in his shoulder when it was healed, he now says he has a full range of movement.

"It was quite an emotional time because my family had come down and they had got me through a few things off the pitch mentally.

"Physically it was just such a relief to put the jersey back on get back out there playing with the boys," he said.

And he has praised the Pirates for keeping faith in him during his rehabilitation.

"For them to be told that one of the players that they've just signed has completely blown his shoulder and might never play rugby again - for them to stick by me has been brilliant."

He says he now wants to focus on keeping his place in head coach Mark Hewitt's side, starting with the trip to fierce rivals Plymouth Albion.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version