Scotland’s Laidlaw bows out

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Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw has announced his retirement from international rugby.

The 34-year-old Laidlaw has led the national team 39 times, more than anyone else, and is second on the all-time points list for Scotland with 714.

‘It’s probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make,’ he said.

‘I feel it’s the right time, for me as a player and a person and us as a family, and for the Scotland team as well. It makes sense.

‘It’s never going to last forever and I’ve always been passionate about you only ever getting a certain amount of time in the jersey and you need to give that jersey everything you can. I’ve done that.

‘While my body and heart could continue playing, my head tells me that it’s time to let the team rebuild. In terms of where Scotland are now, they are in a position to spring forward and I cannot wait to give them my full support from the stands.’

Laidlaw made his Test debut against New Zealand in 2010, and in the nine years since, he has been a mainstay of the squad.

Laidlaw became only the second Scotsman, after Mike Blair, to be nominated for World Rugby’s Player of the Year award in 2015 when he captained Vern Cotter’s Scotland to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in England.

Photo: Getty Images

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SA Rugby magazine