Hipkiss forced to retire
Bath and England centre Dan Hipkiss has announced his retirement with immediate effect as a result of a shoulder injury.
The 13 times capped England centre has made 28 appearances for Bath since joining the club in 2011. Having injured his shoulder in January, and having sought the advice of medical professionals, he has been left with no option but to hang up his boots.
“This is obviously a really sad time for me, but the decision has really been taken out of my hands which has made it a little bit easier. It’s not the way anyone wants to leave the game, but when the doctor tells you it’s time you have to listen to them.”
“I’ve loved my time at Bath, and was really looking forward to another year here. The club have made some great signings in the likes of Jonathan Joseph, George Ford and Anthony Watson, and I was excited to play alongside them and be part of their development, as well as the club’s future.”
He added: “Looking back, I’ve had a great career, and would like to thank Sam Vesty and Lewis Moody, who I’ve played with for pretty much the whole time I’ve been in rugby. I’d also like to thank Paddy Howard and Darryl Gibson, who have given me a huge amount of support.”
“Finally, the biggest thank you goes to my girlfriend and family for putting up with me – it’s not always easy, but the support from them throughout my career has been amazing.”
A strong and powerful runner who could break through defences, as well as presenting opposing players with a brick wall when defending, Hipkiss’s experience will be missed in the midfield for Bath, as head coach, Gary Gold, acknowledged.
“Dan is a great character to have around the squad, and the knowledge of and enthusiasm for the game that he has is something we will really miss around the place.
“He’d just signed a new contract to stay on with the club, and we were looking forward to him helping us develop some of the younger talent that we have coming into the squad.
“It’s never nice when one of your players is forced into making this decision, but we wish Dan all the very best with whatever he does next,” said Gold.
