The 27-year-old Jersey Reds fly-half is out of contract at St Peter in May but has made no attempt to prolong his élite career here or elsewhere, having being recruited by the States of Jersey Police.
His decision to hang up the boots comes following nine seasons as a professional in the Championship and National One – five of which have been spent this side of the Channel, where he met his wife-to-be.
Penberthy was released to Ealing in 2016 but has now revealed that a return to Jersey was always on the cards.
‘When I was in my second year at Ealing [2017/18] I was just thinking about coming back because I wanted to finish my career in Jersey,’ said the former Cornish Pirates and England age-grade representative. ‘My fiancée is from here and I didn’t really want to leave when I left.
‘When I came back I had two or three years in mind but Harvey [Biljon, Reds’ director or rugby] used to say that I always got complacent towards the end of the season, which was why I only ever signed one-year deals. He always wanted me to up my game for a contract for the next year but I came back on the basis that I’d have a two-year deal and I got that sorted, luckily.
‘I wanted to use the two years to prepare, because I didn’t want to get to this stage and then be like “what do I do now?”. A few of my mates have finished playing and have got into a bad mental state because they don’t know what they’re doing. They have one job for a few months and then another one … I’ve been very happy because I knew what I wanted to do and I was lucky enough to get through the recruitment stage.
‘When I applied in August I spoke to all the people I needed to speak to at the club to make sure they were on board – to make sure it would be fine if I needed an afternoon off for fitness days or exam days or the interview stage. I was wondering if I should wait because it was the start of the season but they all understood and the timing could not have been any better. The only thing I’ve had to miss was a training run the night before we played Doncaster [25 October].
‘It’s a huge weight off the shoulders and it gets a bit of stability into my life. In rugby you never know where you’re going to be and with the way the world is going now I felt like I needed a bit of a stability and a healthy wage coming in each month.’
And he has been guided by some sound advice from former team-mate Mark McCrea, who completed an identical move to the States’ police in 2018.
‘I’ve been getting information from as many contacts as possible because obviously it’s a massive decision to make,’ Penberthy explained.
‘Rugby is all I’ve ever done – I’ve never had a Saturday job and even when I was 17 I was playing National One for Redruth and nothing else. I was just picking up the match fees.
‘I spoke to Mark about it and he says he wouldn’t do anything else now – he absolutely loves it and he doesn’t really miss professional sport. This is my ninth year as a professional and I know I’ll miss it, but I think the fact that I’m really excited about what I’m going into is pushing that back a bit.
‘I’ve had a great nine years and I’ve made special memories and great friends, but I’m really looking forward to this and hopefully I’ll make good friends and memories there.’
Having endured a rough ride this term through injury and selection, a strong finish to his career is now the primary target. Penberthy made his first league start of the season only last weekend, against Newcastle Falcons.
‘I love playing for Jersey and I’m hoping in the last part of the season I’ll keep going and get a few more starts,’ he said.
‘I wanted a better year than I’ve had so far, but that’s professional sport – people perform better in different positions so I’ve just got to keep performing well and hopefully I’ll get the nod.
‘I want to finish a game with a kick to win it. That would be a great way to sign off.’
Opportunities to do just that will be reduced by at least one fixture, though, courtesy of another ‘compulsory’ absence. Penberthy’s marriage to fiancée Hannah – initially planned for the summer – has had to be brought forward to ensure he holds the correct employment rights before joining the force. The Cornishman has spent five years in the Island in total but his residency clock was reset following that two-year spell at Ealing.
‘The wedding is on the same day as Hartpury at home now,’ he chuckled. ‘So I’ve had to ask for that one off.’
