By the time a spinal cord injury cut short his burgeoning career, he had already achieved more than most players achieve in a life-time.
Often referred to as the ‘next Shane Williams’ due to his compact and dynamic frame, the flying winger made his professional debut at just 17 years of age for the Cardiff Blues in 2011.
The following season he was globe-trotting with Wales on the Sevens World Series and was then called up to the 2012 Six Nations squad with just four Blues appearances behind him.
His meteoric rise continued in June when he made his debut for Wales and scored a try in the corner.
Fast forward five years and Robinson is sitting pitch-side just yards from his triumphant dive next to the corner flag in a game where Liam Williams and Rhodri Jones also made their bow for Wales.
“It was the highlight of my playing career – running out on this pitch and jumping over in the corner – it brings back great memories and something I will never forget,” he says.
“I look back on my playing career and feel immensely proud of what I’ve done – playing for your country once is a huge accolade and no-one can ever take that away from you so I look back and I’m really content with my career even though it was cut short.”
Robinson won two further caps on the tour of Japan in 2013 and then, after making 50 appearances for the Blues, headed west to play for the Scarlets.
The change of scenery worked wonders for Robinson, until that is, he made an attempted tackle against Edinburgh in March 2015, which would ultimately have career-changing implications a year later when he was forced to retire at the age of 23 after suffering a severe neck injury which required surgery.
An ebullient Robinson refuses to dwell on his career-ending injury and remains effervescent when it comes to the future.
“I had five minutes feeling sorry for myself but if you look at the bigger picture, I know how close it came to being extremely different to what they are now.
“It was tough to come to terms with the end of my playing career but honestly, within the first couple of hours I was thinking ‘you’re lucky to be where you are’ – it sounds strange but I’d already had about seven years of playing rugby and achieved quite a lot in that time frame.”
Harry claimed two more Welsh caps – against Japan – following his debut against the BaaBaas
Fortunately, Robinson’s dramatic change of circumstances didn’t catch him totally by surprise.
“I was already thinking one step ahead when I was playing what I wanted to do after rugby but I thought I would have six months of rehab and give it everything I had and fingers crossed it will come right. But very quickly I realised that with the damage done to my spinal cord – my balance was completely gone, I couldn’t break five seconds over 40m, my physical attributes were shot – so I knew I had to get certain plans in place.”
While the vast majority of modern day professional rugby players eat, sleep and drink rugby for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the duration of their career, Robinson uniquely already had one eye on his future post-rugby, and that forward thinking is now standing him in good stead as he begins the next phase of his life.
“During my career I always said to myself enjoy your rugby for three years, focus on that and dip my toe into some further education course – and that led to a course in mortgage advice and insurance. I always knew this was the industry I wanted to get into, it’s just come 10 years earlier than I would have liked,” he jokes.
Robinson, who played for Wales Under 18s and Wales Under 20s in the same season prior to his senior regional bow with Cardiff Blues, encourages all young players to have something other than rugby to sharpen their minds when the daily rugby routine can become rather monotonous.
“I look back and think it is absolute paramount – you never know when your playing career is going to end and you never think it is going to happen to you. I’m lucky as I had a picture and goal in mind in what I wanted to do.
“I would simply say to any player, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Definitely not, even if you sign a professional contract. Even if it is one day a week at night college, self-learning, just find something you are passionate about and pursue it.”
And that’s exactly what he did.
Harry made his Wales debut in the same game alongside Rhodri Jones and Liam Williams
His meticulous and industrious approach paid handsome dividends. Having done his initial CeMAP (Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice) exams whilst playing, in conjunction completing his diploma in financial planning with FTSE 100 company St James’s Place Wealth Management, from an intake of 250 candidates and a barrage of interviews later, he claimed one of 16 coveted places available on the highly sought after intake.
“It was hard work getting there but let me tell you, the hard work only began when I stepped into the classroom,” he says.
Now out of the classroom and a fully paid up member of the fully employed, he has set up his own practice Harry Robinson Wealth Management – dealing with mortgages, protection, pensions and investments, in conjunction with St James’ Place.
He may be throwing himself into the profession 10 years ahead of schedule, but Robinson refuses to look back with any regrets and only has eyes for the future.
“I feel hugely privileged to be given the opportunity,” he said. “There’s no point dwelling on the past. I just want to get to the pinnacle in this profession and do as well as I can. My rugby career may be over, but I am truly excited about the future.”
