Wallabies great Joe Roff was 26 years old and at the height of his rugby powers when he packed his life into a backpack and disappeared into "normal life" as a tourist taking in sights around Europe.
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Six months later he was back at the ACT Brumbies, went on to play in a World Cup final and then won a Super Rugby title to end his Australian rugby career as a champion.
Roff, who was one of the world's best wingers, knows better than anyone about what David Pocock is getting himself into after signing a flexible contract with the Brumbies and ARU this week to take a sabbatical next year before returning in 2018 and 2019.
It's a groundbreaking deal for Australian rugby, and Roff, Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham and Wallabies mentor Michael Cheika are unequivocal in their belief that the break will extend Pocock's career, make him a better person and boost his world-class rugby prowess.
"For someone like 'Poey', you find that you just get defined as a rugby player. Not everyone wants that. To step away and be defined in a different way is good for your mind, body and self identity," Roff said.
"You can go around the world and rugby is just one thing people do. We know Poey is so much more than just a rugby player and when you step away, no one defines you as a rugby player.
"It's not about doing nothing, sleeping in and watching daytime television. It's about doing something different, and that's the key."
Pocock and the Brumbies will play the Cape Town Stormers in South Africa on Sunday morning. It comes days after the superstar flanker finalised his future with a unique contract that is set to see him take up study opportunities and potentially a brief playing stint in Japan.
Pocock, 27, first raised the idea of a sabbatical to the Brumbies in December, but says he hasn't decided on how he will spend his time away from the game.
For the most part it's about stepping away to refresh mentally and physically after more than a decade of playing professionally.
Two career-threatening knee reconstructions in 2013 and 2014 took a mental and emotional toll on the former Wallabies captain.
He considered quitting the game altogether as one option. But the fire still burns to chase Super Rugby and international success when he makes a comeback.
Pocock is studying ecological agriculture through Charles Sturt University. He is a campaigner for environmental issues, same-sex marriage, is a co-founder for the Eightytwenty Vision that assists communities in Zimbabwe, and is a patron for the Save African Rhino Foundation.
When he took a stance against homophobic slurs during a Super Rugby game last year, some people turned it into an issue about what should be left on the field. Their view was tainted by Pocock's boots and jersey.
His fear was that his sporting role overshadowed the real issue. But when he steps away from the game, he will be in a different light.
"Doing more than one subject at uni a semester will be a good change, and then I'll see what I can fit in around that," Pocock said.
"Professional sport demands huge amounts physically, mentally and emotionally. I kind of feel like this little break will allow me to continue the enjoyment. It comes back to enjoyment and knowing why you play the game."
Pocock's 12-month absence will leave a sizeable hole in the Brumbies roster that they'll have to temporarily fill.
It's something the club considered through the negotiation process, and were willing to take a hit in 2017 knowing Pocock would be back bigger and better after his break.
It has helped keep one of the world's best players in Australian rugby rather than losing him to retirement or a rich overseas club offering a new experience in a different country.
The Brumbies and Australian rugby are well aware sabbaticals don't suit every player. Some would enjoy not having to stay fit and play every week.
But after seeing Pocock train with anti-poaching scouts in Zimbabwe last year and makeshift gyms while on holidays, Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has no doubt Pocock's talents won't drop away.
"A lot of thought had to go into his decision, he just needed a break from the pressures of high-performance rugby," Larkham said.
"Poey's got no plans at this stage, there are a few options but he hasn't made a decision if he's going to play rugby at all or just get a break and pursue other interests.
"Sabbaticals are 100 per cent dependent on the person taking them. Someone like Poey, who's been through a bit over the last four or five years, it's probably good to get away.
"Other people maybe need just a smaller period of time to freshen up. Poey has taken this route, and I think it's the right one for him."
Sabbaticals work differently for individuals. Former NSW Waratahs lock Dan Vickerman walked away from his Wallabies career to spend three years studying at Cambridge before returning for the 2011 World Cup.
New Zealand let Richie McCaw and Dan Carter take separate breaks in recent years, and they returned to spearhead the All Blacks to World Cup glory last year.
Roff went to France to play with Biarritz after leaving the Brumbies following the club's first Super Rugby title in 2001.
Roff was criticised by the French coaching staff for not performing at the high level he set in 72 Tests for Australia, and then-Biarritz coach Laurent Rodriguez said: "It is time that Joe Roff put an end to his holiday in France."
The next month Roff scored 17 points in a 25-22 win against Agen to lead Biarritz to its first French title in 56 years before turning to back-packer life.
"I just needed a mental break for myself at the time. Poey's not going to lose anything having a year out of the game, he's going to come back fresher and more motivated," Roff said. "The fact Poey has indicated he wants to come back to the Wallabies and Brumbies shows the fire is still there.
"When I decided on a sabbatical was around the same time I was pulling on the boots for pre-season training and I was just going through the motions. That can be dangerous.
"I had one year left on a contract in Japan [with Kubota] at the end of my career but decided to have two years studying at Oxford, and that was magic. Whatever Poey decides to do, it will be something that rounds him out as a person. We already know he's not defined just as a football player."
Cheika was the Waratahs coach when Pocock took a stance against homophobia in sport when slurs were used during a Brumbies' clash against NSW last year.
He teamed up with Pocock for the first time last year in Wallabies camp.
"And I just saw his willingness to want to improve, both on and off the field. Be a better man and a better person, it's pretty contagious," Cheika said.
"David's very clear on what he wants to get out of his life, and when that happens it makes it very easy to make good decisions.
"It makes you interested in the person, and that's what we're trying to build [in the Wallabies]. We want players representing Australia that have good character. David certainly has that."
SUPER RUGBY ROUND FOUR
Sunday: Cape Town Stormers v ACT Brumbies at Newlands, Cape Town, 4.15am. TV time: Live on Fox Sports 2.
Brumbies team: 15. Aidan Toua, 14. Henry Speight, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 12. Matt Toomua, 11. Joseph Tomane, 10. Christian Lealiifano, 9. Tomas Cubelli, 8. Jarrad Butler, 7. David Pocock, 6. Scott Fardy, 5. Sam Carter, 4. Rory Arnold, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Stephen Moore, 1. Scott Sio. Reserves: 16. Josh Mann-Rea, 17. Allan Alaalatoa, 18. Les Leuluaialii-Makin, 19. Tom Staniforth, 20. Jordan Smiler, 21. Michael Dowsett, 22. Robbie Coleman, 23. Nigel Ah Wong.
