Ireland star CJ Stander in shock retirement
Ireland number eight CJ Stander has dropped a retirement bombshell by declaring he will quit rugby at the end of the season.
Stander said the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and his club, Munster, tried to talk him out of leaving the game.
The 30 year-old, who won his 50th cap in Ireland's 27-24 win over Scotland, could not be persuaded to make a U-turn.
"All professional sports people are told 'you will know when the time is right to hang up your boots'," Stander said. "It’s a sentiment one cannot fully comprehend until that day arrives.
"For me, that time has come, and I hereby publicly announce my retirement from all forms of rugby.
"I will be available to represent Munster until 27 June 2021 when my contract expires, and for international duty, until the end of the mid-year Test window."
Stander, who came to Ireland at the age of 22, said rugby had "started to take an unfair toll on my family".
He qualified to play for Ireland by residency and made his debut in the 2016 Six Nations, going on to play for the British and Irish Lions on their tour of New Zealand a year later.
In 2018, Stander helped Ireland achieve a Six Nations Grand Slam, but now he says rugby must take a back seat.
"I asked myself whether I was still enjoying this enough to earn the continued support of Munster and Ireland, and to justify the sacrifices my family was making. From a performance perspective, the answer was yes," Stander said via a statement.
"But I always had the intent to retire while I was still playing some of my best rugby. I also knew I wanted my daughter Everli to grow up around her family in South Africa.
"When all these intentions and considerations intercepted each other during that training session, I discussed the implications thereof with [Munster] coach Johann van Graan and the Irish Rugby Football Union.
"I deeply appreciate that they tried to persuade me otherwise, but I knew it was time."
