Taylor, 25, calls time on career after head knocks
EDINBURGH centre George Taylor has announced his retirement from rugby on health grounds at the age of 25. He has not played for the team this season because of concussion, and has now decided to follow a new career on the financial side of his family’s pharmaceutical business.
“My decision to step away from rugby is ultimately down to health reasons and I’ve got to think about my health for the future,” Taylor said yesterday in an announcement on Edinburgh’s website. “I’ve had a history of head injuries that have set me back for months, so after a lot of discussion with management and family, I’ve come to the conclusion that I should step away and move on to other opportunities.
“It’s certainly not been a quick decision. It’s been thought through ever since I got a concussion while in pre-season back in August. It’s been on my mind and I’ve made some sacrifices to try and prepare for life after rugby.
“I had a long conversation with my family prior to Christmas and they shared their opinions, while not trying not to make a decision for me. My brother also retired due to head knocks and he gave me some good insight into how he was afterwards.
“You look back at photos of yourself at games with family and you quickly realise how important family is. Obviously, rugby means so much to me. I’ve been playing since I was six and this was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make in my life, if not the hardest.”
Capped at both under-18 and under-20 levels, Taylor was called into the full Scotland squad last summer, only for all three games to be cancelled because of Covid. He made his Edinburgh debut in 2018 and played 38 times for the team.