The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Flying Dutchman Tim Visser decides to call time on Scotland career
RETIRAL: Dutchman to concentrate on club career and young family
Harlequins winger Tim Visser has announced his retirement from Scotland duty.
The 30-year-old scored 14 tries in 33 internationals but has decided to stand down to spend more time with his family and concentrate on his club career.
The Dutchman qualified for Scotland in 2012 under residency grounds during a six-year spell with Edinburgh.
The former Newcastle player told the Scottish Rugby Union website: “Playing for Scotland has been the biggest honour of my life.
“I feel it has been even more special by not being my country of birth but where I had grown to call home.
“Being asked to play for a top nation in world rugby and being accepted by my team-mates as one of their own has been incredible. I can still remember my home debut against the All Blacks at BT Murrayfield as if it were yesterday and the emotions that it brought me.
“However international rugby brings many challenges and, with a young family, the time away from home has been hard.
“I also feel Scotland is in a fantastic place with some great young talent coming through and now is my time to free up the space for them to develop.
“I want to thank everyone associated with Scottish rugby and of course my family and my wife Laura for supporting me through it all.
“Six incredible years with Edinburgh has led me down to Harlequins and I feel now is the time to say goodbye to international rugby and concentrate on my club career.”
Visser played twice in the 2015 World Cup but did not feature in this year’s NatWest Six Nations after missing out on the squad for the November Test series.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, said: “I’d like to pay tribute to Tim who made an excellent impact on Scotland and did very well at an international level for his adopted country.
“Obviously it’s disappointing that we won’t be able to call on his services for the next couple of seasons, but we have a number of players that are competing hard and have come through in that position over the past 12 months who now have an opportunity now that Tim is no longer available to Scotland.
“We wish him all the best with his club career.”
Ireland and Ulster wing Andrew Trimble has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
The 33-year-old won 70 Ireland caps between 2005 and 2017, helping Joe Schmidt’s men claim the 2014 Six Nations title.
Trimble, who made a record 229 appearances for Ulster, also featured when Ireland claimed their maiden win over New Zealand, the world champions beaten 40-29 in Chicago in November 2016. In an open letter published by Ulster and the Irish Rugby Football Union, Trimble called time on a career that included 17 Test tries.