David Pocock has announced that he will be bringing an end to his 11-year Wallabies career by retiring from Test rugby after the World Cup.
Pocock, who has struggled this year with injury, has been named as captain in the Wallabies final World Cup warm-up against Samoa in Sydney on Saturday.
The Test match, only his fourth game of rugby this year, will also effectively be Pocock’s last on Australian soil.
The 31-year-old flank had already confirmed that he will be retiring from Super Rugby after leaving the Brumbies to continue his career in Japan.
‘I feel like it’s time to move onto other things and contribute in other areas,’ Pocock said on Friday.
‘On a personal note you reflect on the time you’ve had in a Wallabies jersey, what you’ve tried to add, the legacy you hope you’ll leave and then just the opportunity to play in front of family and friends one last time.’
Zimbabwe-born Pocock made his Wallabies debut in 2008 against the All Blacks.
One last time on home soil for Poey ?? ?? #GoldBlooded #AUSvSAM pic.twitter.com/ydDPYFD7w1
— Qantas Wallabies (@qantaswallabies) September 6, 2019
Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images