Retiring Class of 2022 XV: Club stalwarts and Rugby World Cup winners who brought their careers to a close this year

Jared Wright
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Planet Rugby celebrates the world-class players that called time on their professional rugby careers in 2022.  As the year draws to a close, we have selected our Retiring Class of 2022 XV with over 700 test caps worth of experience leaving our game. 

Planet Rugby celebrates the world-class players that called time on their professional rugby careers in 2022. 

As the year draws to a close, we have selected our Retiring Class of 2022 XV with over 700 Test caps worth of experience leaving our game.

The backs

15 Maxime Medard (France): One-club legend Medard wrapped up his 18-year-long career in 2022. A name synonymous with Toulouse and French rugby, Medard played 366 matches for his club, scoring an impressive 113 tries. During his time with Toulouse, he won three Champions Cup titles and five Top 14 trophies. He represented France 63 times between 2008 and 2019, featuring at two Rugby World Cups. Fellow full-backs Matt Duffie, Ximun Lucu and Simon Hammersley also announced their retirements in 2022.

14 Richard Kahui (New Zealand): The former All Black did play in the centres, but it was on the wing where he claimed his biggest scalp, the 2011 Rugby World Cup. An uncompromising defender, Kahui played 18 Tests for New Zealand between 2008 and 2011, with injuries impacting his overall tally. He represented the Chiefs 60 times, winning a Super Rugby title in 2012 before heading off to Japan, where he played club rugby for seven years. He wrapped up his career with a two-year stint with the Western Force. Gloucester legend Charlie Sharples was the other notable winger who called time on his career this year.

13 Virimi Vakatawa (France): Supremely talented centre Vakatawa was forced into retirement in November due to a heart condition. The 30-year-old earned 32 Test caps for France since his debut in 2016 and scored 10 tries. We hope to see Vakatawa grace a rugby pitch again. The other notable centre who called time on his career this year is fellow French star, Wesley Fofana.

12 Jamie Roberts (Wales): Roberts brought an end to his glittering career in July. At the height of his game, he was one of the best players in his position and one of the greats of Welsh rugby. He ended his career in Australia playing for the Waratahs in Super Rugby, but Roberts’ talents saw him represent clubs in Wales (Cardiff and Dragons), England (Harlequins and Bath), France (Racing 92) and South Africa (Stormers). He earned 94 Test caps for Wales and three for the British and Irish Lions, which he represented in 2009 in South Africa and in 2013, winning the series in Australia. 25-year-old George Taylor also retired this year, as did former Springbok Jaco Taute.

11 Hallam Amos (Wales): The Wales flyer brought his playing time to a close this year to focus on his medical career. He racked up 25 Test caps for Wales after debuting at the age of 19 in 2013 and represented his country at the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups. Connacht and Ireland winger Matt Healy was the other winger who brought his career to a close.

10 Francois Trinh-Duc (France): Two stalwarts of French rugby ended their careers in 2022, and with Trinh-Duc earning more Test caps, he features at 10. Trinh-Duc represented France between 2008 and 2018, reaching 66 Test caps while his club career was split over stints with Montpellier, Toulon, Racing 92 and Bordeaux, racking up over 300 senior appearances. Fellow Frenchman Lionel Beauxis also hung up his boots this year. The former Les Bleus pivot was well known for his time at Stade Francais but had stints at Pau, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lyon, Oyonnax, and Beziers. He also earned 24 caps for France, the last of which came in 2018.

9 Richard Wigglesworth (England): The most capped Premiership player of all-time announced his retirement recently to fill Steve Borthwick’s vacancy as Leicester Tigers’ head coach on an interim basis. He earned 33 Test caps for England and played a record 322 Premiership matches. He won seven Premiership and three Champions Cup titles. Fellow league stalwart Joe Simpson also announced his retirement this month.

The pack

8 Victor Vito (New Zealand): A memorable 17-year-long career was brought to a close in July as Vito played his final professional match for La Rochelle. The former All Black missed the final of the Champions Cup, but a lot of credit must go his way after helping the side rise up the ranks of European rugby since arriving from the Hurricanes in 2016. He played his final game for the Hurricanes in the 2016 Super Rugby final, earning his 100th game in the match and adding the title to his two Rugby World Cup winners medals with New Zealand. He is part of an illustrious group of players who have won Super Rugby and the Champions Cup. Les Bleus legend Louis Picamoles also ended his career, having represented his country 82 times and had stints with Montpellier, Toulouse, Northampton Saints and Bordeaux.

7 Sean O’Brien (Ireland): Leinster and Ireland great O’Brien was one of many stellar openside flankers who ended their professional playing careers in 2022. However, he is the pick of the lot, having played 56 times for Ireland and five times for the British and Irish Lions. He enjoyed 11 seasons at Leinster, winning four league titles and a Challenge Cup and Champions Cup. He is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s finest openside flankers. Wales’ James Davies and France’s Damien Chouly were the other two standout retirements.

6 Chris Robshaw (England): Former Harlequins and England captain Robshaw confirmed his retirement in October, saying, ‘three dislocated shoulders in quick succession, my body has told me to blow the final whistle.’ He ended his career playing for San Diego Legion in the Major Rugby League but will be remembered for his time at Harlequins, where he captained the side to Premiership glory, playing 300 times for the club. He also captained England, earning 66 international caps in total. Montpellier legend Fulgence Ouedraogo, La Rochelle flanker Wiaan Liebenberg and Exeter’s Don Armand were the other blindsides that ended their career.

5 George Kruis (England): Another England and British & Irish Lion who called time on his career, Kruis finished up in Japan, where he helped the Wild Knights win the Japan Rugby League One title. During his time at Saracens, he won three Champions Cup titles and four Premiership titles while earning 45 England caps and one for the Lions. He also won two Six Nations titles and reached the Rugby World Cup final in 2019.

4 Devin Toner (Ireland): A regular fixture in the Leinster and Ireland pack for over a decade, Toner ended his career with 70 caps for Ireland and three Six Nations winners’ medals, including one Grand Slam. He played over 350 games for Leinster, winning four Champions Cup and seven domestic titles. Toner and Kruis headline a plethora of top locks who brought the curtain down on their careers, including Joe Tekori, Matt Symons, Tevita Cavubati, Luke Romano, Matt Garvey, Tim Swinson, Ed Slater, Jeremy Thrush and Mariano Galarza.

3 Kensuke Hatakeyama (Japan): Back in May, Japanese prop Hatakeyama announced his retirement. He represented his country at the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups, playing his part in the famous upset over South Africa in Brighton. He earned 78 Test caps in total and had stints at Suntory Sungoliath, Newcastle Falcons and the New England Free Jacks. Ben May, Greg Bateman and Scott Andrews also ended their playing careers in 2022.

2 Guilhem Guirado (France): Former France captain Guirado ended his career on a high, helping Montpellier win their maiden Top 14 title. The hooker enjoyed a stellar 17-year-long career, including a Challenge Cup title with Montpellier, a Champions Cup winner’s medal with Toulon, and 74 Test caps for his country. Former Leicester Tigers’ captain Tom Youngs also ended his career, as did Sean Cronin, Joe Gray and John Ulugia.

1 Gordon Reid (Scotland): A 41-Test cap prop for Scotland, Reid played most of his club career at Glasgow Warriors but had spells at Wasps, London Irish, and Northampton Saints. He represented Scotland at the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cup and played 100 over times for Glasgow. Former Wales prop Rhys Gill, Los Pumas prop Carlo Muzzio and Greg Holmes ended their careers in 2022 too.

READ MORE: The Year in Numbers: Including Wayne Barnes’ record, France’s winning run and Rassie Erasmus’ suspensions

British and Irish Lions Sean O'Brien