The former Leinster lock gave up about £200,000 by not taking Sale Sharks up on the second year of his contract.
In a sporting world where players justify racist slurs as banter, urinate in pint glasses before emptying it on unsuspecting punters, and hundreds of athletes are caught up in doping scandals, it is great to hear about a gesture like this.
On Saturday, Nathan Hines is part of Scotland’s coaching team. He returns to Dublin, a city he loves, to take on an Ireland team featuring many players he has done battle with for years.
It is heartening to see the Australian-born Hines has landed on his feet.
This time last year, Hines was a week off his 39th birthday and facing an uncertain future. He tells SportsJOE:
“I was on a two-year contract at Sale and could have still played the second season [2015/16].
“In September 2014, I snapped by bicep tendon in a game. I came back after Christmas and played six games in a row. I was really feeling it.
“I went to [Sale coach] Steve Diamond and said ‘I’m not quite sure if I will make a whole year [next season]. I’d rather be up front with you about it now. Use that money rather than me using up the salary when I won’t be playing every week’.”
Hines dismisses the suggestion that his act was a noble one. Having played in teams – rugby league and union – for almost two decades, he simply felt he would be selling teammates short by picking up a wage and not playing each week.
Hines’ other reason to hang his boots up was one closer to home – his wife. He says:
“Lianne was going through a round of IVF [In vitro fertilisation] treatment and all that stuff. I wanted to be around more to support her.
“We had Josh, our seven-year-old, through IVF and ended up having the twins, Chloe and Lachlan, the same way. For us, the procedure has been very positive. We have been fortunate that way.
“We’ve three kids now so when they outnumber the adults, it gets problematic. When we just had Josh, you knew you could hand him to the other parent so you could finish your dinner. There are a lot of unfinished dinners now.”
Hines is hoping to catch up with the likes of Jamie Heaslip, Cian Healy and Johnny Sexton at the post-match function.
He has not always seen eye-to-eye with the Irish outhalf but respects the passion and ambition that drives him to succeed. Hines recalls a flashpoint between the two after a feisty Heineken Cup game in December 2012.
“Johnny called me a dirty so-and-so.
“That’s one of the things about guys at the top level of sport. They don’t get there by being passive. It is one of the reasons I like Johnny so much – he has that fire in him.
“He took exception to being caught at the bottom of a ruck. That’s understandable.
“Guys usually get it out of their system five or 10 minutes after a game but it took Johnny a while longer. He would shake my hand after the game. I gave it 10 minutes and went into the Leinster dressing room to sort it out. We settled it then and it was all good.
“What can you do about something after a game? Nothing. So there’s no reason to let it fester.”
Hines admits he will often cut a frustrated figure, on Saturday, as events unfold from the sidelines, but he is delighted to still be contributing to the Scottish cause.
“I was 21 when I got the shout about heading to Scotland and playing a few games with Gala RFC,” he recalls. “Nearly 20 years on and I’m still hanging about, chipping away. Not bad going.”
