Brumbies and Wallaby flanker David Pocock has confirmed he will retire from Super Rugby at the end of the season.
Pocock’s future has been up in the air for some time now and the loose forward has decided to cut his season short in order to focus on getting fit for Australia’s World Cup campaign later this year.
The 31-year-old has been in Canberra for seven years and is thankful for all they have done but has not commented on where his future lies post-World Cup.
“The Brumbies have given me a home for the last seven years. They’ve supported me through injury and given me the opportunity to work on my game and my leadership as part of an incredible group of men. After 13 years of professional rugby, I’m looking forward to the challenges the rest of this year holds and also thinking about what comes next. The Brumbies and all supporters have been very good to me since my move to Canberra in 2013. I am grateful for their support. Over the last seven-years Canberra has well and truly become my home. Em and I love living here and being part of the community,” he said.
Last week it was confirmed that the Brumbies and Australian medical teams would discuss Pocock’s next move and along with other expert advice it was decided that he will play no further part in the Brumbies bid to qualify for the Super Rugby play-offs.
The problem for Pocock is that his calf strain has no certain timeframe for recovery and means there is also no certainty that he will make the World Cup.
It is believed that after the tournament in Japan the flanker, who has 112 Super Rugby caps and 77 caps for the Wallabies will re-join Japanese side Panasonic Wild Knights and continue his playing career.
All going well that would mean that Pocock would remain in selection contention for future Wallabies games due to the 60-cap rule.
