England hooker Mark Regan hid deafness so he could play at Rugby World Cup

England's Mark Regan at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

A former England and British and Irish Lions hooker has revealed he hid his deafness from coaches and teammates and relied on reading lips during his career.

Mark Regan played 46 tests for England and was part of the squad that lifted the Rugby World Cup in 2003, and started in the final four years later. He played the All Blacks on three occasions, including the 1997 draw at Twickenham.

In a video interview with England Rugby, Regan revealed he’s been deaf since he was 2. But he kept it secret from his teammates and coaches during a professional career that lasted 18 years, relying on lip-reading even on the sport’s biggest stage.

“I’ve been deaf since I was 2. I kept it a secret because I’d seen it as a weakness and I had to if I wanted to get to the top,” he told England Rugby.

“A hundred thousand people in the crowd, you’re doing a lineout call to win the World Cup, and you miss the lineout call and you don’t hear it, it’s the difference between winning and losing, isn’t it? And I don’t think anyone or any coach would take that gamble.”

“I can’t hear sur, fur, cur, wur [sounds]. A crowded room is very hard, so I lip-read. But I didn’t know any different as a kid. I never told anyone because I’d never get to the top. I can just see it.

“It never got out until I just thought, well at the end of the day I wear my hearing aids now, and I wear them with pride. I can hear the leaves whistling, I can hear the birds singing.”

“I’m the person who wanted to prove everyone wrong, that I can get to the top. You can succeed. Even with a disability these days you can get to the top. And I learned very quickly you’re not on your own, you’re with your squad. You’ve got a trust in each other and believe and be accountable for your actions and learn your role in the team.”

Regan was known as a hooker who got on the nerves of the opposition, similar to his hero, Brian Moore.

At one point after a test in 2008, French coach Marc Lievremont went as far as calling Regan a “grotesque clown”.

“I thought the behaviour of the English hooker was completely unacceptable at times,” Lievremont said.

Regan responded: “It’s the biggest compliment you can give me. It’s my job to get under their skins and clearly, I did that”.