Gavin Cattle: Cornish Pirates scrum-half unlikely to play again
- From the section Rugby Union
Gavin Cattle says he is unlikely to play for the Cornish Pirates again.
The 35-year-old is beginning his second season as a player-coach at the Mennaye and last featured as a replacement in the British and Irish Cup last year.
"The only time I will play, and I'll openly say this, is if the club's in need," former Scarlets scrum-half Cattle told BBC Sport.
"But my priority is to help the young talent come through and play for us. Me playing is not a long-term fix."
The Pirates signed Alex Day and Rob Coote this summer, and also have England Under-20 scrum-half Stuart Townsend available on dual-registration from Exeter.
Despite that, Cattle says he has not formally retired from playing just yet.
"I stay relatively fit and I join in with the extras with the scrum-halves," added Cattle, who has played 187 games in two spells at the Mennaye.
"On a personal level I'd still love to be playing, but the club's at the forefront of my mind."
He continued: "You look back on your playing days with fond memories, but I've been very fortunate to have been put into this position - coaching at a Championship club and one that I'm very fond of as well.
"It's been a tough one, but one I've really enjoyed and this year I'm relishing it because it was a steep learning curve last year and I'm a lot better prepared."