France prop De Villiers announces rugby retirement
Friday, 18 Apr 2008 09:52
France prop Pieter de Villiers, 35, announces retirement from rugby
France and Stade Francais prop Pieter de Villiers has announced his retirement from professional rugby at the age of 35.
The veteran international, who scored two tries for his country in his 69 caps since his debut in 1999, featured for France in last year's Rugby World Cup on home soil.
He also remained in the thoughts of new national coach Marc Lievremont during the Six Nations this spring, despite the squad undergoing a massive overhaul following the retirement of Livremont's predecessor Bernard Laporte.
Several of the older players were regularly omitted from squads, not to mention the first XV, as the new coach opted for a youthful side full of players better known to audiences at home.
However, France lost their Six Nations title to Wales, who won the grand slam by defeating the reigning champions 29-12 at the Millennium Stadium in the final match of the tournament.
De Villiers has been a major part of Stade Francais' domestic success over the last 13 years, winning five titles in this time.
"I'm officially stopping playing rugby," De Villiers said in an interview on the Stade Francais website.
"It is something that I have thought hard about, and for me it is the right decision."