HOME AND AWAY MARK McHUGH:Mark McHugh wanted a change so he headed to France for an adventure with his wife, Orla. It still continues as he explains to JOHN O'SULLIVAN

MARK McHUGH knew that he wanted a change to re-energise his career. He had enjoyed his six seasons at Connacht since arriving from Leinster but the last three had been fractured by injury and a relentless weekly grind to defy the formbook.

Friendships forged during that time guaranteed that it would be a wrench to leave but he knew that in penning the two-year deal on offer he would probably be signing his last professional contract.

The problem was that there was no alternative but that state of affairs changed on a Wednesday night in January 2007, two days before the deadline that Connacht had stipulated for agreeing a new contract.

The 28-year-old McHugh received a call from his agent stating that the progressive French Top 14 club, Montpelier, wanted him to sign a two-year deal.

The figures were impressive, appreciably more than the Connacht offer but for the player it wasn’t simply about the money.

Recently married to Orla, they discussed the proposed move to France.

McHugh explained: “We both agreed that it would be a bit of an adventure. It is not as if it would have made any difference to my international prospects in moving abroad so I didn’t have to factor that into the equation.

“It was my chance to play at a high level, an opportunity that wouldn’t present itself again. When I was young I had lapped up the stories about French rugby and knew a little bit about Montpelier because we had played them three consecutive seasons in the European Challenge Cup.

“I had missed the first four of those clashes because of injury but had played against them twice in the season just gone. I knew that if I stayed with Connacht and saw out the two-year contract that would probably be it in terms of playing professional rugby.

“Montpelier had Francois Trinh Duc at outhalf but he was due to make the French squad for the 2007 World Cup and I was seen as the ideal cover. After discussing it with Orla I decided to take the plunge and go to France. We jammed everything we could into the car, including the dog, took the ferry from Rosslare to Cherbourg and arrived in Montpelier a week before training started.

“My mother actually teaches French while Orla and I studied it for the Leaving certificate so I thought we’d be fluent within a couple of months.

“That assumption quickly vanished when conversing with the locals, who spoke so quickly. We enrolled in classes but even this had drawbacks.”

McHugh found himself in classes organised by the club with 11 South Africa players who didn’t speak a word of French and who weren’t unduly concerned about that fact.

“It was a waste of time, like going back to start from scratch. I made a decision to chat and listen and if I didn’t understand to ask people to repeat it more slowly. My French improved quite quickly as a result.”

In his first season the Irishman endeared himself to team-mates and supporters, playing in 20 of 26 matches and finishing the season as the club’s leading points scorer.

“It was a good season and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I met some really good people who will be friends for life.”

The portents looked equally good following the opening match of the following season (2008-2009) when McHugh helped Montpelier to a 14-11 victory over Toulouse in front of 14,000 supporters.

However, by the fourth game the player began to be aware of a niggle in his groin; a problem that would eventually be diagnosed as a ‘sportsman’s hernia’.

He went to see the medical team at the club, suggesting that the problem might require surgery but they were adamant that it would improve with a combination of physiotherapy and rest.

On the first weekend in December McHugh played against Brive, kicking four penalties from six, but after his last attempt the pain was excruciating and he hobbled from the field: a month’s rest was prescribed.

During that time Montpelier elected a new president who promised to sign Sebastien Chabal and Lionel Nallet amongst others but, on discovering the finances wouldn’t match his ambition, stepped down after 13 days.

During that brief flirtation with the top position he appointed Denis Navizet as director of rugby and the latter would go on to have a huge impact on McHugh’s future at the club. It wouldn’t be a positive one. Many of the French players at the club began to complain that there were too many foreigners at the club, who were making no effort to learn the language.

McHugh, who by the end of January had finally undergone surgery, wasn’t included in that criticism, the broadside aimed largely at the South Africa contingent. Navizet didn’t differentiate.

“I was called in and told that my contract would not be renewed. Several team-mates couldn’t believe it when they heard and went to remonstrate but to no avail.

“I suppose I would still be bitter and angry about how he treated me. I was fit again by the start of March but never got picked. It was tough to take.

“A couple of sponsors and some supporters went to see him but he’d made up his mind. The irony is that Montpelier now has more foreign players than they did in my day.

“Two weeks after I discovered my contract was not going to be renewed, we found out that Orla was pregnant with our first child.”

Rugby salvation came in the form of an old acquaintance, an Australian called Anthony Hill who had taken over at the Nice Cote D’Azur club, who play in Federal 1 (French Division Three).

Hill invited him down, offered a one-year contract and McHugh made the three-hour drive from Montpelier.

He played 40 minutes of the 38-10 pre-season defeat to Leinster.

“It’s a fabulous club, really ambitious – they hope to qualify for the Heineken Cup by 2015 – and it’s a good standard. Martin Johnson’s brother, Will, plays here, so, too, former Scottish international Ross Beattie.

“On a good day we would give a couple of Magners League teams a run for their money. Federal 1 contains 48 teams (six pools of eight) with only two eventually promoted. It’s tough but we should be there or thereabouts.”

He is due to move into an apartment provided by the club, hasn’t had to take a massive decrease in salary and early in the New Year is looking forward to the birth of their first child.

Having just turned 31, he’s not yet prepared to relinquish his French dream.