🏉 Hadleigh Parkes Hangs Up His Boots and Dives into a New Adventure! 🚀
After an incredible career, former Welsh international Hadleigh Parkes is stepping away from the rugby field and into a brand-new chapter. The New Zealand-born centre, who earned 29 caps for Wales, is swapping scrums for the world of civil engineering. He’s joined Hicks Bros as an operations assistant.
Parkes, 38, enjoyed an illustrious career with highlights including winning the Grand Slam with Wales and lifting the Pro 14 title with Scarlets. After leaving Wales in 2020, he took his talents to Japan before returning to grassroots rugby in Auckland. Recently, he’s been happily balancing family life with his passion for the game.
After welcoming his fourth child this year with wife Suzy, Parkes decided it was time to explore life beyond rugby. His venture into engineering is all about embracing new challenges and loving the learning curve. Parkes said, “You can’t sit at home for the next 20 years, can you? Start at the bottom, be open to learning, and see how it goes!”
Retirement hasn’t kept him from the rugby community. Earlier this year, he relished the chance to reunite with fellow former Wales international, Willis Halaholo, in a local Auckland match. It’s clear Parkes remains a spirited supporter of grassroots rugby.
From rucks to rocks, here’s wishing Hadleigh all the best in his exciting new journey! 🎉