Jack Singleton: Hooker on hopes of return to rugby union after heart attack

Singleton played 75 games for Gloucester after joining in 2020 and has been capped seven times by England, his most recent appearance for the national team coming in 2022.

But while he was out last season, he also knew that by June his club contract would be up.

“We had an ongoing conversation after the incident about what next season [2026-27] might look like and the club were pretty honest with me that they couldn’t wait until sort of May-August time to figure out if I was going to be alright to come back and play,” Singleton said.

“They’d have to go out and sign someone, which I completely understand. So I was never in the dark about what was going on at the club.”

While Gloucester confirmed the recruitment of Wales hooker Dewi Lake in December for 2026-27, around the same time Singleton was speaking to cardiologists to find out if a return was even possible.

“The biggest thing was can I or will I be allowed?” he said.

“I feel like with the proper medical staff around, with the understanding I have now with the drugs I’m on and all the procedures that I’ve had, I’m in a much better place than I was prior to this time last year to be back in training and back playing again.”

Seven months on, he is hoping he is near the end of that journey.

Singleton was given a rolling contract with Gloucester from June to allow him to continue rehabilitation at Kingsholm during the summer and hopes that in the next few weeks he will return to full contact training, although he will not be part of the Cherry and Whites’ squad for the upcoming campaign.

It means he is on the hunt for another team to give him another opportunity.

“I’m not worrying about work outside of rugby or anything like that at the minute and if nothing comes up or a club doesn’t want to take the risk, I’ll cross that road when it comes to it,” he said.

“But hopefully something does come up and I can give the best of myself to that team.”