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Time even catches up with Bryan Habana eventually: Springbok legend to retire

‘It’s been more than a year of hoping, trying, pushing and willing to get back on the field for one last time…’

SOUTH AFRICA’S RECORD try-scorer Bryan Habana will retire at the end of the season.

The wing will turn 35 in June when his contract with Top14 club Toulon expires.

Habana is second on the all-time list of Springbok cap-holders behind Victor Matfield with 124 and his record of 67 Test tries is only surpassed by Japan’s Daisuke Ohata.

Habana, whose tries were key to South Africa’s World Cup  victory in 2007, revealed the decision to hang up his boots on Instagram today after struggling to force his way back into the Toulon side following knee surgery last year.

Habana wrote: “The inevitable moment has come knocking on my door and I’ve welcomed it in for a drink.

“It’s been more than a year of hoping, trying, pushing and willing to get back on the field for one last time, to taste the sweet victory or encounter that gut-wrenching despair. To hear the roar of the crowd or grab the pill out of the air.

Bryan Habana Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

“To make that last bone crunching tackle or score that last game winning try. But it’s unfortunately just not to be.

I, like most, would have liked my career to have ended differently, but sometimes things don’t turn out quite the way we hope for.

“So at the end of this season, it’s time to say goodbye and thank you to the game I so dearly love.”

Habana has won two European titles and the Top 14 during his time with Toulon and was a two-time Super Rugby champion with the Bulls.

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    Mute Rory Clarke
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    Aug 28th 2014, 5:49 PM

    An article like this is a troll magnet

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    Mute Startled Sapien
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    Aug 28th 2014, 9:25 PM

    I’ve been waiting for Glen for half an hour.

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    Mute Gabbi Johnson
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    Aug 28th 2014, 5:04 PM

    Kearney displaying typical ‘rugger’ humour there… off for a good aul knees up and a pint of heino. D*cks.

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    Mute Aideen Thornton
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    Aug 28th 2014, 5:08 PM

    How is that typical ‘rugger’ humour? He made a valid observation (the jersey is swimming on him), and made a joke about it.

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    Mute Gabbi Johnson
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    Aug 28th 2014, 5:17 PM

    AIdeen if they were in person he would have kicked sand over him.. like McBain making fun of the ‘puny’ men.

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    Mute Phil O' Meara
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    Aug 28th 2014, 5:00 PM

    Not so boring now.

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    Mute Nigel Dunne
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    Aug 28th 2014, 5:08 PM

    Slow day at the office eh zzzzzzz

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    Mute Caoimhghín Ó Tuama
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    Aug 29th 2014, 2:57 AM

    What used journalists actually do in the days before they could copy very boring stories straight off of twitter?

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    Mute Gerard Fitzgerald
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    Aug 28th 2014, 5:23 PM

    Horan needs to bulk,up steroids would help,ask any pro rugby player,IF kearney was a man ,he,d have knocked that steroid monkey out cold.

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    Mute Gabbi Johnson
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    Aug 28th 2014, 5:27 PM

    Only real men have ‘Guns’.

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