MUNSTER and Ireland full-back Felix Jones has been forced to retire from rugby at the age of 28 due to a neck injury.
The injury was sustained during Munster’s Guinness Pro12 meeting with Glasgow Warriors at the beginning of this month.
It is the latest in a long line of injuries for Jones, who released a touching statement on Wednesday confirming his decision to retire on the advice of doctors.
It is still unthinkable to believe I will never play another game of rugby. Although I have tried to round myself as an individual through education and other interests, I have always had one driving purpose in my life and that was to play rugby.
I'm grateful I could do that in Munster. That feeling of walking out the tunnel in front of a packed Thomond Park is something I will never forget. To accept I will not play with my teammates again is beyond upsetting. I'm lucky to have played with so many great players, but rugby has given me something better and that is the people who are now life-long friends.
I thank all the coaches I have been lucky enough to learn from and I look forward to seeing the development of our squad over the coming seasons. The guidance I have received from the medical teams in Munster and Ireland has been unfaltering. I would also like to acknowledge the consultants I have dealt with here and further abroad.
I'm indebted to everyone who has helped me throughout my career from Seapoint my home club, Old Belvedere, Shannon and all the way up to representing Ireland. Without doubt the proudest moment of my career was being given the privilege to win my first cap for my country.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the extensive support I have received from IRUPA not only at this moment in time but throughout my career also. I would encourage all players to engage with their players’ union.
Finally, I would like to thank my family and close friends for their undying support on and off the pitch. I will draw upon this over the coming weeks as the situation presents itself as a nervous yet exciting junction in my life.
Jones joins compatriots Stephen Ferris, Kevin McLaughlin and Eoin O'Malley on the list of Irish rugby players to be forced into an early retirement in recent years as the physical demands of the game continue to increase.
In tribute to the player, his club Munster have released a video of his best tries in a red shirt, as below.
