Canberra: Injury-plagued Australian great David Pocock said he was racing to be fit for the World Cup as he announced his retirement from Super Rugby on Tuesday, three games before the end of the season.
The 31-year-old flanker has failed to shake off the calf injury that has dogged his season with the ACT Brumbies, for whom he has played only 138 minutes this year.
The former Australia captain, who took a sabbatical in 2017 in a bid to extend his career, has also suffered neck and concussion problems since returning to rugby last year.
“It’s just one of those things that you’ve got to deal with,” Pocock told reporters in Canberra of the abrupt end to his 13 years of professional rugby in Australia. “I think the best thing now is to take the pressure off to get it (the recovery process) right.
“To pull on the Wallabies jersey again is obviously my goal. It’s a huge honour and something that I love doing. I’ll be doing everything that I can to get myself right and get into the best shape I can.”
—AFP