Former Wales half-centurion announces retirement
NEWS: Former Wales lock Jake Ball has called time on his professional career at the end of the upcoming Japan League One season.
Ball joined Scarlets from the Western Force in 2012, and earned 50 Test caps for Wales during his nine-year spell with the club.
He made his Test debut in the 2014 Six Nations season – with his last cap coming in 2021 shortly before he departed Scarlets to join Green Rockets Tokatsu in Japan.
The lock is entering his fourth and final season in Japan, where he’s coached by former Wales boss Wayne Pivac, before calling it a day to spend more time with his family and grow his supplement and wellness company.
Ball’s final season of professional rugby starts on December 22 against Red Hurricanes Osaka.
He wrote on social media: “Professional Rugby has been my dream, my passion and my career for the last fifteen years.
“I have made the tough decision to retire at the end of the 2024/2025 season in order to spend more time with my family and to develop and grow my new supplement and wellness company.
“I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey rugby has taken me on, from my early days with the Western Force, then to the Scarlets and representing Wales on the international stage and finally playing here in Japan with the Green Rockets.
“Every chapter has enabled me to live out that childhood dream.
“To my teammates, coaches, staff and fans I have made some great friendships and memories that I will cherish. Thank you for the support and good times over the years.
“I am looking forward to my final season with the Green Rockets before moving on to the next chapter of my life.”
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