One more practice in Cape Town, then retirement
NEWS: Wales and British & Irish Lions centre Jamie Roberts decided to hang up his boots, but not before having ‘one last’ practice session with the national team.
Roberts, 35, played 97 Tests for his country and the B&I Lions, after making his international debut in 2008.
He won the Six Nations Grand Slam in his maiden Test season as well as four years later and was a crucial part of the B&I Lions’ successful series win over Australia in 2013.
However, he trained with Wales on Tuesday, four days ahead of their series-deciding third Test against South Africa in Cape Town on Saturday.
“It was really weird,” Roberts told the website WalesOnline, when asked about the training session with Wales on Tuesday.
“I was writing my retirement statement on Monday and getting quite emotional about it.
“I just checked my phone and I had a voicemail off [Wales coach] Wayne [Pivac]. I thought what’s going on here, so I listened to his message and he said: ‘Oh mate, we’re short of numbers, would you like to train with the lads?’.
“I don’t think Wayne knew I was going to announce my retirement.
“I had a beer in the changing room with the boys after the win in Bloemfontein [last Saturday] and he knew I was in Cape Town doing commentary work.
“When duty calls, duty calls, so I trained with them this afternoon [Tuesday]. It was a nice little last-day sort of thing. I had the bib on! I was marking everyone. I was playing 12, 13 and wing.
“I’ve been in those Test sides where you’ve got quite a few niggles and you haven’t got the right numbers for training. It’s difficult. I’ve been there.”
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We’ll always have Sydney @Jamiehuwroberts ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fy3idms6Y5
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 12, 2022
In his prepared retirement statement, Roberts said: “The time feels right.
“As I reach the end of my professional career, I’m retiring with an immense sense of gratitude for what the sport had provided me,” he added.
Roberts played in five countries.
His teams included Racing 92 in France, the Stormers in South Africa, Bath in England, the Waratahs in Australia and his hometown side Cardiff, where he came through as an academy player.
Roberts combined a career on the field with studies for a medical degree from Cardiff University and a masters from Cambridge University.
“I value dearly the opportunity the sport has given me to travel the world and expand my horizons beyond Wales, through touring or moving club,” he said.
“Taking those strides to challenge myself outside my comfort zone, although daunting, provided the pressures I craved.
“Those pressures to challenge myself beyond the game also permeated to the lecture theatres and hospital wards,” he added.
He made his last Test appearance in 2017 and finished his career with Waratahs in this season’s Super Rugby Pacific.
“There’s no doubt I’ll stay in the sport past retirement,” he said.
“Whilst I figure everything out, that’ll be predominantly in a broadcasting capacity,” he added.
Sources: AFP & WalesOnline
