Rathbone 'hangs up boots'

[Steve-o]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Canberra - The rugby career of former ACT Brumbies and Wallabies winger Clyde Rathbone is over.

Rathbone confirmed on Tuesday that he had played his last game of professional rugby, citing injuries and a declining desire as the main reasons behind his decision.

The 28-year-old came off contract with the Brumbies at the end of last season and fielded offers from the Force and multiple overseas clubs for 2010 and beyond.

But the terms largely the time frame of those deals did not suit Rathbone, who only wanted to sign for one season.

Convincing him he had made the correct decision was the fact he suffered five fractures to his eye socket and upper cheek in a collision playing for Uni-Norths Owls in the John I Dent Cup on Saturday.

He is expected to have surgery later this week.

Rathbone said his long-term health was also behind his decision.

He retires with 52 Super rugby caps for the Brumbies and 26 Tests for the Wallabies.

''I've decided to hang up the boots, it's all over,'' Rathbone said.

''I need to look after my long-term health and when I couldn't agree with any of the contracts that were in front of me for next year, I figured it would be best to step aside.''

Injuries have dominated Rathbone's time at the Brumbies.

He missed the first year of his first contract signed after captaining the South African under-21s team with a groin setback and has been off the field for much of the past three seasons with knee problems.

Former Brumbies coach David Nucifora described Rathbone as an ''incredibly powerful individual''.

''He was one of the most dynamic athletes I've been involved with,'' Nucifora said.

''He was integral to the Brumbies winning the ***le in 2004.''

Rathbone and his wife Carrie will remain living in Canberra.[/b]

Source

Retiring at 28, a real shame. He had such potential while with the Sharks and SA U21 team, I was very excited of his future in SA before he left for Oz.

 

[Boggle]

I know it's probably got nothing to do with it, but it's almost like leaving SA for AUS was the death knell for his rugby career (bad karma ?), you hardly ever got to see him play as he was always injured and now he's retiring before having ever achieved anything noteworthy, a shame indeed.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

he had a fairly good year in 04 but unfortunately couldn't get back to that sort of form after long term injuries.

 

[Steve-o]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Boggle @ Aug 12 2009, 11:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I know it's probably got nothing to do with it, but it's almost like leaving SA for AUS was the death knell for his rugby career (bad karma ?), you hardly ever got to see him play as he was always injured and now he's retiring before having ever achieved anything noteworthy, a shame indeed.[/b]

And just look at his former centre partner JDV. Became the most capped Bok centre of all time last week. Has won a WC (by default), and a TN. Rathbone has a solidary S14 ***le to his name in top class rugby.

Most South Africans are looking at this as bad karma, and I'm not surprised. Rathbone left on bad terms with the SA public, much like Kevin Pietersen did. One thing that made it worse with Rathbone is that he was being nurtured our systems and doing so well for himself and the teams he played for.
26 Tests for Aussie is nothing to sniff at, but he had so much more potential.
Oh well, that's the past and now he is left the responsibility of his decisions.

EDIT: In hindsight, does anybody remember when just after he left he smugly told the Aussie media he didn't even know the SA national anthem after 21 years here. What a doos.

 

[dundeesmiffy]

I wasn't aware of this chap until I heard of his retirement. From what I've seen he looked like a good player, retiring at 28 is pretty unfortunate though.

 

[Flux]

It's a shame to see him retiring. I know he's had a tough run of injuries, but I think I read somewhere he was thinking about retirement just after coming back from an injury, which to me sounds like he didn't really give himself a real chance of getting fully fit. However, if his heart wasn't in it I suppose it's best he did stop. Best of luck to him in the future.

 

[William18]

I'm a bit sad about this. Any player leaving the game at 28 is sad, when they could have done that little bit more. I remember when Rathbone was in the Aussie team and looked very settled. Things just haven't gone his way and he has found himself where he is.

 

[Ripper]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Steve-o @ Aug 14 2009, 11:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Boggle @ Aug 12 2009, 11:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know it's probably got nothing to do with it, but it's almost like leaving SA for AUS was the death knell for his rugby career (bad karma ?), you hardly ever got to see him play as he was always injured and now he's retiring before having ever achieved anything noteworthy, a shame indeed.[/b]

And just look at his former centre partner JDV. Became the most capped Bok centre of all time last week. Has won a WC (by default), and a TN. Rathbone has a solidary S14 ***le to his name in top class rugby.

Most South Africans are looking at this as bad karma, and I'm not surprised. Rathbone left on bad terms with the SA public, much like Kevin Pietersen did. One thing that made it worse with Rathbone is that he was being nurtured our systems and doing so well for himself and the teams he played for.
26 Tests for Aussie is nothing to sniff at, but he had so much more potential.
Oh well, that's the past and now he is left the responsibility of his decisions.

EDIT: In hindsight, does anybody remember when just after he left he smugly told the Aussie media he didn't even know the SA national anthem after 21 years here. What a doos.
[/b][/quote]

Doesn't matter if he had became a Springbok or took the path he did he would've ended up like this anyway, an injury prone player is an injury prone player no matter who he plays for.

 

[Jer1cho]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ripper @ Sep 2 2009, 06:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Doesn't matter if he had became a Springbok or took the path he did he would've ended up like this anyway, an injury prone player is an injury prone player no matter who he plays for.[/b]

Ah yes, but it was still triggered by the way he got SMASHED every time he set foot on SA soil. Every tackle a South African player put on him was way way harder than for normal players. Anyway, he's a dick, and got what was coming to him.