MUNSTER ARE SET to lose another great servant when flanker David Wallace hangs up his boots at the end of this season.
The 35-year-old officially announced his retirement this afternoon, a decision forced on him by the devastating knee injury which he suffered last year.
The Cork native becomes the third Munster player to retire in recent weeks following the departure of pack counterparts Jerry Flannery and Mick O’Driscoll.
He calls time on a decorated career at the top level which started almost 15 years ago with his provincial debut in August 1997.
Wallace missed most of the 2011/2012 campaign as he recovered from a knee ligament injury which he picked up playing for Ireland in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match against England, cruelly ruling him out of the trip to New Zealand.
After an lengthy period of rehab, he regained fitness in time to make a substitute appearance in last month’s Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat against Ulster, where he won his 203rd and final cap in red.
During that time he won two Heineken Cup medals as well as 72 international caps and a Grand Slam in 2009.
“Although it’s disappointing that injury is forcing me to retire now, I take great comfort that I’ve had an unbelieveably enjoyable career and I feel very lucky to have been involved in an era that has seen Munster and Ireland enjoy so much success,” Wallace said (MunsterRugby).
Professional rugby has exploded in popularity and changed beyond all recognition in this country since I began and I feel honored to have played witness to it’s massive improvement.
I’d like to thank anyone who has helped me and had faith in me during my 15 year professional career including family, teammates, coaches, medics, friends and not least supporters.
I will be looking to step away from rugby and explore a few different business opportunities while also looking forward to being able to spend more time with my wife Aileen and sons Andrew and Harvey.
It’s just amazing how UK sports are winning everything in cycling and doing so well in other sports like track and field recently too. Even their footballers were probably the fittest team at the World Cup. Must be great nutrition!