Saracens boss Mark McCall hits out at 'shameful' abuse of Owen Farrell after England skipper stepped away from international rugby to focus on mental health... and says his decision should be a wake-up call for rugby

Owen Farrell’s decision to step away from Test rugby to prioritise his and his family’s mental health must be a wake-up call for the game, according to his Saracens boss Mark McCall.

England captain Farrell caused a major shock on Wednesday when he announced he won’t play in next year’s Six Nations after being targeted by online trolls.

The 32-year-old’s club boss hit out at the treatment of a player he has worked with for 15 years.

‘It is shameful,’ McCall said of the flak Farrell has received. ‘Rugby probably does (need to do something). This is a wake-up call for all concerned.’

Online abuse is a growing and worrying problem in rugby. Farrell was targeted after being sent off while on England duty in a World Cup warm-up match with Wales this summer. He was eventually banned and missed the start of the tournament.

When he did play in France, the No 10 was booed loudly by some England fans.

English referee Wayne Barnes retired after taking charge of the final between New Zealand and South Africa and cited the impact of trolls on him and his family as a reason for his decision.

‘There’s no way a referee should face what Wayne faced and there’s no way a player or a person like Owen should have to face what he’s faced over a longer period of time,’ said Saracens director of rugby McCall. ‘I’ve worked with Owen every day for 15 years. He’s a family man. They’ve always come first.

‘On top of that, he’s a brilliant, caring, supportive team-mate and a loyal friend to many. He’s a very good, decent human being. That’s the person I know. His happiness, and his family’s, is the most important thing. He’ll have the club’s full support going forward as always.’

Farrell intends to keep on playing for Saracens despite taking a break from England duty.

McCall will make a call today on whether Farrell, who is struggling with a knee injury, faces Northampton tomorrow.

‘There’s only so much someone can take,’ said McCall. ‘It’s remarkable he played the way he played during the World Cup if we take into account how he was feeling. He’s a person who is right on top of his game at the moment, yet he and his family have been made to feel the way they feel.

‘I’m worried about Owen. We want him to be OK and happy. Clearly, he hasn’t been. I don’t know what he’s done, honestly, to deserve how he has been treated. He has a lot of friends, team-mates, and staff members who he trusts at the club. I’m sure they will all be there.

‘The fact he opened up to us about how he was feeling a while back shows that. Now he won’t be playing for England in February and March, he can make a plan about what he does in those months when we don’t have matches. That’s new for him. But he’s keen to get on with our season.’

Farrell’s decision to step away from England duty leaves national head coach Steve Borthwick with a huge void to fill.

As well as being skipper, Farrell is England’s record points-scorer and has 112 caps for his country plus the experience of three Lions tours. George Ford will be his most likely fly-half replacement for the Six Nations but who steps in for him as captain is less clear.

Prop Ellis Genge has previous experience of the role, and, like Ford, was a vice-captain to Farrell at the World Cup where England finished third.

Courtney Lawes, another vice-captain in France, has now retired from international rugby and has already ruled out a return.

McCall admitted he had been left angry by the circumstances that forced Farrell into the decision he made. He also didn’t rule out Farrell returning to England duty in the future.

‘His happiness and well-being are paramount,’ said McCall. ‘If that, in time, involves returning to the international fold then so be it. If he wants to go back after a break and it’s something that he enjoys and loves, then good for him.

‘If he doesn’t want to in six, eight months’ time then we’ll support that, too. He has nothing to prove.

‘All those caps and being captain wasn’t enough for some people. Certainly, we need to make sure we’re checking in all the time with him. Like Steve Borthwick said, it was courageous of him to open up. I admire Owen for many reasons anyway, but even more for doing this. I certainly didn’t try to persuade him to change his decision and I’m pretty sure Steve didn’t either.

‘Down the years he has been made to feel he has done something much worse than he has done. Every single thing has been scrutinised and that doesn’t happen with other players. You might say “He’s the England captain” but I’m not sure England captains have faced the level of scrutiny he has.

‘Very rarely is it positive and we’re talking about someone who is a model professional who cares deeply about what he does and who he does it with.

‘He has been portrayed in a way that doesn’t fit the person that people close to him know.’