It’s the end of an era in international rugby with the usual post World Cup retirement exodus in full swing as some of the biggest names in the game from the past decade, and in some cases almost two, hang up their international rugby boots for good.
Some big names leaving the world stage and rugby will surely miss their presence. Darry Worthington looks at five legends of the game who are off to pasture, below.
It would be amiss of me not to start this piece without a disclaimer saying I missed some big names who had a massive impact on the game here and a player on my five-man list also did not attend the World Cup.
Dan Biggar, Charlie Faumuina and Dane Coles all had stellar careers and bowed out after their sides’ exits from France.
All three men deserve a lot of recognition with Biggarr ending his career as the fourth most capped player for the Dragons and fourth highest points scorer, while Famuina won a World Cup with the All Blacks and represented Samoa at this year’s tournament. Coles, also a World Cup winner, was one of the players to revolutionize the hooking berth paving the way for the likes of Malcolm Marx.
It was hard to leave the players above off the list but I set out to name my biggest losses to the game and I couldn’t waiver from that.
Alun-Wyn Jones
Country: Wales
Caps: 170
Honours:
Six Nations Championship: 2008, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021
Grand Slam: 2008, 2012, 2019
Triple Crown: 2008, 2012, 2019, 2021
Doddie Weir Cup: 2018, 2019, 2021
Prince William Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
Four Lions Tours – One Win and One Draw,
2019 Six Nations Player of the Tournament
Longevity, Alun-Wyn Jones be thy name! Jones has had a stellar career that has spanned some 17 years with the Welsh veteran making his debut against Argentina back in 2006.
The big second-row ended his international career as the most capped player of all time. He appeared at four World Cups but missed out on Wales’ campaign in France retiring just after the conclusion of the 2023 Six Nations tournament.
A British and Irish Lions stalwart, Jones packed down against some of the best second rows in the game including the South African duo of Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield, Brodie Rettalck and Sam Whitelock as well as Irish giant Paul O’Connell and Australian hardman Justin Harrison.
Jones managed to hold his own against these greats of the game with the British and Lions legend often coming out on top including in the drawn final 2013 test between New Zealand and the British and Irish Lions, where he gave Rettalick and Whitelock a tough old time.
A true great of the game. The Welsh are already missing his leadership skills greatly.
Duane Vermeulen
Country: South Africa
International Caps: 75
Honours:
SARU Rugby Player of the Year 2014
Super Rugby Player of the Year 2014
IRB Player of the Year – Nominee – 2014
Super Rugby and Unlocked Player of the Year 2020
SA Rugby Player of the Year for 2020
World Cup Winner 2019, 2023
Rugby Championship Winner 2019
One of the most decorated players in South African rugby history, the big man has left a massive mark on the game. He represented four of South Africa’s Currie Cup unions and also enjoyed stints with Toulon and Ulster, where he received rave reviews from players and fans alike.
While he is one of the hardest runners the game has ever seen, it’s often forgotten how agile he was when he first burst onto the South African domestic scene back in 2006. Injuries and age taken their toll on that aspect of his game but Vermeulen managed to adapt and while his physicality often got the ‘Boks over the gainline, it was his smarts and leadership skills that really helped the ‘Boks win back-to-back World Cups.
There’s already talk of him coming into the Springbok set-up as part of the coaching staff, which shows just how highly regarded his rugby brain is by Rassie Erasmus. The likes of Jasper Wiese and young Evan Roos are going to have a tough time filling Duane’s big boots.
Johnny Sexton
Country: Ireland
Caps: 118
Honours:
4× Six Nations Championship: 2014, 2015, 2018, 2023
2× Grand Slam: 2018, 2023
3× Triple Crown: 2018, 2022, 2023
2× British & Irish Lions selection: 2013, 2017 – One Win and One Drawn
3× World Rugby Player of the Year nominee: 2014, 2018, 2022
While Owen Farrell will likely beat him out to the most despised pivot in World Rugby should it go down to a vote, Sexton was a very controversial figure who did himself no favours in his final few years at the pinnacle of international rugby by complaining to many a referee about many an opponent.
Regardless of how you view his behaviour on the pitch, there’s no doubt that the Leinsterman will go down as one of the truly great fly-halves of all time. He had composure that not many do and was able to dictate the game and play to his team’s speed.
Sexton also had loads of moments of magic in him with his 45 metre drop kick at the Stade de France back in 2018 being one of the standouts.
The Leinster star will be a sore miss for Ireland who haven’t got a fly-half as capable as him waiting in the wings. However, referees and the IRB will rejoice that they are no longer in Sexton’s firing line.
Brodie Retallic
Country: New Zealand
Caps: 113
Honours:
Rugby World Cup: Winners: 2015
Tri Nations/The Rugby Championship :Winners: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
Bledisloe Cup: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year
Winner: 2014
World Rugby Player of the Year
Winner: 2014
The youngest player on the retirement list at just 32 years of age. Retallck has had a stellar international career since making his debut against Ireland at the close of 2012.
The second rower was a key man in the All Blacks’ 2015 World Cup win scoring a try against France in the quarter-finals and then putting in solid showings against South Africa in the semis and Australia in the final.
The big man then enjoyed a stellar series against the British and Irish Lions in 2017 and was arguably the All Blacks best player against a physical Lions pack.
While Retallick was brilliant in his key roles as a lock, he also got around the park and scored some memorable tries from range. It’s a shame he is hanging up the boots so early as he may have been able to push one last World Cup but it is understandable when you consider how many injuries he has sustained over the years.
Aaron Smith
Country: New Zealand
Caps: 147
Honours:
Rugby World Cup: 2015
The Rugby Championship: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
Bledisloe Cup: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
British & Irish Lions series: 2017 (drawn series – shared title)
Super Rugby: 2015
It pains me to say this as a South African with Joost van der Westhuizen and Fourie du Preez, two brilliant scrum halves who excelled on the world stage, but for my money, Smith is the greatest scrum half to have played the game.
The Kiwi ace was just so good at dictating the speed of the game. He had a knack for getting the ball out of a ruck quicker than any other nine and his passing was pinpoint and lightning quick.
Smith won pretty much everything with the All Blacks but was still hungry for success at this year’s World Cup, where he played a blinder in the final against South Africa.
The man from Palmerston North will go down as a copybook nine that the next generation of scrum halves are and have emulated.
