Devin Toner, second row for Ireland and Leinster, has announced his retirement at the end the season.
Toner, 36, made his Leinster debut as a player in 2006. He is the most-capped player of the province’s history, with 276 appearances.
He won four European Champions Cups and seven league titles, as well as a Challenge Cup together with Leinster.
Toner won his first 70 Ireland cap in 2010 and won three Six Nations titles including a Grand Slam 2018 in 2018.
Toner, who represented Ireland at the 2015 World Cup, said that there is no right time and that he would love to continue playing.
“But I feel very blessed to have had the career I have and I am able leave the sport and club that I love in good shape and on my terms.”
Toner was not a regular participant in the tournament’s build-up, and he was not included in Ireland’s squad for 2019. He also won the last of his 70 caps at the 2020 Six Nations.
“I’ve been around the club long enough that I know that not everyone is as lucky, so I believe that now is the right time to concentrate on the next chapter, and of course, more time with Mary and Max,” he said.
“They, Mary and in particular, have sacrificed their lives to make it possible for me to perform. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Now it’s all about us enjoying more time together.
“There were some special moments with Ireland. The Grand Slam is up there. Maybe the game against South Africa, Cape Town 2016, was also up there. My dad’s passing made it very special for me.