Penberthy quits Reds to become boy in blue

AARON PENBERTHY has swapped the playbook for the lawbook as he begins a new career in the State of Jersey Police.

- JON NEWCOMBE

One of the Championship’s most consistent operators over the last decade, fly-half Penberthy hung up his professional boots in March after a career that took in two spells at Jersey Reds as well as Cornish Pirates and Ealing Trailfinders.

The 28-year-old, who made his Pirates debut in 2011/12, scored over 500 Championship points but, very soon, he’ll be issuing penalties not kicking them.

The Cornishman was sworn in on July 16 and is now in the final week of his ten-week training course in Norfolk.

“It’s been a big eyeopener that’s for sure,” he said. “You see live footage of a lot of stuff, and some of it is quite disturbing.

“I enjoy helping people and I think I’ve good communication skills, but you never know how you’re going to react until you see and have to deal with some of the things we’re being taught at the moment.”

When Penberthy and his Jersey-born wife returned to the Island in 2018, he started to make plans for life after rugby and considered the fire service as well as the police.

Given the way things have worked out with the Championship and the drastic funding cuts, Penberthy appears to have got out in the nick of time.