SAM’S INJURIES A WAKE-UP CALL, SAYS WORLD RUGBY
IT was perhaps an opportune time for World Rugby bosses to admit that Sam Warburton’s premature retirement from rugby at the age of 29 is a ‘red flag’ for the professional game.
For the former Lions and Wales skipper’s announcement he’s quitting with his “health and wellbeing a priority”, has prompted World Rugby’s hierarchy to take a serious look at whether it should be a catalyst for change.
When Warburton made his shock proclamation following last season out with neck and knee surgery, he joined an ever-growing list of international players to hang up their boots in 2018.
It’s a list of some of the greats of the global game and one which could easily grow further before the year is out given the physically demanding nature of rugby these days.
These are the 23 Test players who had already called time on playing in 2018 before Warburton’s announcement last week...
ADAM JONES (WALES, 95 CAPS)
‘Bomb’ announced his decision to call it a day in March to focus on a coaching career with Harlequins.
The 37-year-old prop won three Grand Slams and made five appearances for the Lions on their 2009 and 2013 tours. Jones starred for Neath, then the Ospreys, and played a season for Cardiff Blues before joining Harlequins in 2015.
His international career began for Wales against England at Twickenham in August 2003 and took in three World Cups.
PETER STRINGER (IRELAND, 98 CAPS)
In June the scrum-half hung up the well-travelled boots at the age of 40.
His international career spanned 11 years, but his time in the club game went well beyond that. Stringer was part of Ireland’s Grand Slamwinning side of 2009 and also won Triple Crowns in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
He played more than 200 games for Munster and helped them win the Heineken Cup for the first time in 2006.
In 2011 the scrum-half moved to Saracens on loan and represented five English teams over a seven-year period. In 2016 he won Sale Sharks’ player of the year, aged 38.
JUAN MARTIN FERNANDEZ LOBBE (ARGENTINA, 71 CAPS)
The former Pumas skipper made his swansong as Barbarians captain in their summer Test win over England at Twickenham.
He played in three World Cups and will forever be remembered for his performance against Scotland in 2011 when refusing to leave the field despite dislocating his knee cap, before finally having to give way on 31 minutes.
He was also one of the first overseas players to join the Toulon revolution in France, helping turn the Top14 club into European heavyweights.
WYATT CROCKETT (NEW ZEALAND, 71 CAPS)
The 35-year-old suffered only three defeats in the black jersey — his winning percentage of 94.36% puts him third in the all-time list.
Despite finishing his international and Super Rugby career with the Crusaders later this summer, the rugby boots haven’t been entirely put out to pasture as he is pondering turning out for Tasman Mako in the Mitre 10 Cup.
ISA NACEWA (FIJI 91 CAP)
The Auckland-born 36-year-old retired from the game in 2013 after five years at Leinster, only to rejoin the province in 2015.
He carved out cult figure status at the RDS.
During his first stint in the Emerald Isle, Nacewa was part of the Heineken Cup-winning teams of 2009, 2011 and 2012 and then helped the province pocket the Guinness PRO14 and Champions Cup silverware last season.
SCHALK BRITS (SOUTH AFRICA, 11 CAPS)
The pocket battleship of a hooker has been one of the best foreign imports in the English game and ended a stellar career with Saracens this summer with the Aviva Premiership title.
His stay at Allianz Park has encompassed three Premierships, two Champions Cups and before the pipe and slippers came out he earned the last of his 11 Springboks caps against England in June after one of the most surprise call-ups in Test match history.
RICHARDT STRAUSS (IRELAND, 17 CAPS)
The 32-year-old South African-born hooker was first capped against the Springboks in October 2012, in Dublin, after qualifying for Ireland on residency grounds.
His Test career came full circle as his final international appearance was against South Africa four years later in Johannesburg.
Made three appearances in the 2015 World Cup and was a key figure in Leinster’s domestic and European success.
BRYAN HABANA (SOUTH AFRICA, 124 CAPS)
The flying wing, who made his international debut against England at Twickenham in 2004, scored eight tries to help South Africa reach the final of the 2007 World Cup, where they beat England.
In 2015 he went on to equal former New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu’s record of 15 tries in World Cups.
Habana last played international rugby in 2016, and ends his career four appearances short of the alltime South Africa appearance record set by Victor Matfield.
ANDREW TRIMBLE (IRELAND, 70 CAPS)
The 33-year-old played 12 years for Ireland between 2005 and 2017, helping Joe Schmidt’s men claim the 2014 Six Nations title.
Trimble also featured when Ireland claimed their maiden win over New Zealand, the world champions beaten 40-29 in Chicago in November 2016.
As well as bagging 17 Test tries the wing made a record 229 appearances for Ulster.
VINCENT CLERC (FRANCE, 67 CAPS)
The fleet-footed Toulon wing helped his country to two Six Nations Grand Slams in 2004 and 2010 as well as adding a third Six Nations title to his CV.
But perhaps of all his 67 caps, Clerc will be best remembered as the player who was upended by Sam Warburton in the 2011 World Cup semi-final that earned the Welsh skipper a red card from referee Alain Rolland.
CONRAD SMITH (NEW ZEALAND, 94 CAPS)
The centre helped the All Blacks win the World Cup in 2011 and 2015, before leaving New Zealand and cashing in at Pau.
One of the game’s most under-rated players and an unsung hero of the All Blacks’ global domination, Smith will now stay on in France as part of the Pau coaching staff.
CHRIS WYLES (USA, 54 CAPS)
A decade spent plying his trade with English giants Saracens says everything you need to know about the former USA skipper.
He played in three World Cups and the rugby sevens tournament at the 2016 Olympics and after being part of Sarries’ success in the Premiership and Europe, the 34-year-old is leaving to pursue business interests outside the game.
JUAN MARTIN HERNANDEZ (ARGENTINA, 74 CAPS)
The gifted Argentine playmaker announced his arrival on the Test scene at the 2007 World Cup.
In all he represented the Pumas at three World Cups.
The majority of his career was spent in France playing for Stade Francais, Racing 92 and Toulon before returning home to represent the Jaguares in Super Rugby two years ago.
A knee injury suffered while playing for the Jaguares against the Reds on March 17 has seen Hernandez retire on medical advice.
ROB HORNE (AUSTRALIA, 34 CAPS)
The 28-year-old centre was forced into retirement after suffering careerending nerve damage to his right arm playing for Northampton Saints against Leicester on April 14.
Horne played more than 100 times for the New South Wales Waratahs, including winning the Super Rugby title in 2014.
TOMMY BOWE (IRELAND, 69 CAPS)
The former Ospreys wing also played for the British and Irish Lions in 2009 and 2013.
A shoulder injury ended any hopes of the 34-year-old being part of Joe Schmidt’s Six Nations Grand Slamwinning Irish squad in 2018.
He spent four years with the Liberty Stadium region, linking up in 2008 and in all playing 77 times and scoring 36 tries.
FREDDIE MICHALAK (FRANCE, 77 CAPS)
France’s all-time leading scorer retired this summer after the triple Grand Slam winner admitted the physical nature of the sport was getting “more and more difficult” for his 35-year-old body.
Michalak, who retired from international rugby in 2015, started his Test career aged 19 at scrum-half.
He later filled the No. 10 jersey and finished his Test career with 436 points, with four Six Nations titles in all, as well as three Top 14 titles and a record six European titles with Toulouse and Toulon.
DONNCHA O’CALLAGHAN (IRELAND, 94 CAPS)
After a glittering 20-year career, the giant lock finished this summer at the age of 39.
He was just two caps short of three figures, having played 94 times for Ireland, many of those being the boilerhouse partner of Paul O’Connell, while also having four Tests with the Lions.
He captained the Lions in South Africa in 2009 and featured in three consecutive World Cups for Ireland between 2003 and 2011, and won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009.
O’Callaghan also had a decorated 17-year spell with home province Munster, where he won two Heineken Cup titles and two Magners League titles in his 268 appearances before moving to Worcester Warriors in 2015, where he ended his career.
YANNICK NYANGA (FRANCE, 46 CAPS)
The Zaire-born 34-year-old backrower made a bolt out of Les Bleus announcement in May that he was quitting rugby at the end of the season.
It came as a bit of a shock as Nyanga had one of the his best seasons for some time, leading Racing 92 to the Champions Cup final, only to be pipped at the post by Leinster.
His solitary victory in professional competition remains the 2006 Six Nations Championship.
ELI WALKER (WALES, 1 CAP)
In March news broke that the 26-year-old, once hailed as the topperforming wing in British and Irish rugby, was forced to retire.
He has fought a prolonged battle spanning close on 500 days in an attempt to save his career.
But Walker has been unable to complete his recovery after back surgery and, after consulting specialists, he made the decision to call time on his playing days with immediate effect.
It was an injury-ravaged career for Walker which ultimately meant he won just one cap, against Ireland in a 2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up game.
WINSTON STANLEY (SAMOA, 3 CAPS)
The Brisbane-born centre came from rich rugby stock, his Uncle Joe having been a formidable figure for the All Blacks.
He joined Harlequins in 2015 from the Highlanders and helped New Zealand win the Junior World Cup in 2009 before switching to Samoa, where he won his three caps.
Forced to retire through injury, aged 29, in March this year.
JAMIE HEASLIP (IRELAND, 95 CAPS)
The Leinster star had not played since March last year due to back problems, when he completed the full 80 minutes against Wales in the Six Nations.
Heaslip played at two Rugby World Cups, featuring in all 10 of Ireland’s games at the 2011 and 2015 tournaments.
He was part of the 2009 and victorious 2013 Lions tours and was nominated for World Rugby’s Player of the Year in 2009 and 2016.
JOHN MULDOON (IRELAND, 3 CAPS)
The titan of Connacht ended his 15year association with the province when he announced in January he was leaving to link up with former head coach Pat Lam in Bristol as their defence boss.
Muldoon made his Connacht senior debut in 2004 and is the highest capped player, both for the province and in the PRO14 championship.
He won the first of his three caps against Canada in 2009, the final one coming against the All Blacks 12 months later.
PAUL MARSHALL (IRELAND, 3 CAPS)
The 32-year-old scrum-half played 206 times for Ulster, scoring 24 tries.
He won his first Ireland cap during the 2013 Six Nations, coming off the bench for Conor Murray in the 22-15 defeat to Italy in Rome. He made further appearances during that summer’s tour of the USA and Canada.