The 37-year-old will bring his storied career to a close at the end of this season
Wales legend Leigh Halfpenny has announced he will retire from rugby at the end of the season.
The 37-year-old, who won 101 caps for Wales, finishes his illustrious career as the nation’s third highest points scorer behind mentor Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.
As well as his 801 points for Wales, he was a three-time British and Irish Lions tourist – winning four caps for the tourists and being named man of the series against Australia in 2013.
During his storied career, Halfpenny played for Cardiff, Toulon, Scarlets, Crusaders and Harlequins – winning both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
This season has seen him take on a player-coach role at the Arms Park, with Halfpenny featuring twice for the Blue and Blacks this season.
January’s defeat to Ulster was his final outing for Cardiff – although he could yet play his final professional match of rugby in the club’s remaining two league fixtures or any URC play-off games.
Halfpenny joins fellow Wales greats Liam Williams and George North in announcing his retirement from the game.
“After a lot of thought and reflection, I’ve decided to call time on my professional rugby career at the end of the season,” said Halfpenny upon announcing his retirement.
“It’s hard to put into words how much rugby means to me. Starting out as a six year old down at Gorseinon Rugby Club I could never have imagined the journey rugby would take me on – none of it would have been possible without those people that supported me from the very beginning.
“Rugby has given me some of the best moments of my life and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have played the game I love for the last 18 years.
“It’s always going to be difficult to walk away but the time feels right as I reflect back on a career that I’m incredibly grateful for.
“I’ll be forever grateful to Cardiff Rugby for giving me the opportunity to join the academy and start my professional career, I instantly felt at home and I’ll always look back at my time at Cardiff as some of the most memorable years of my life. It’s a special club and to be able to finish my playing career where I started means so much.
“My time at Toulon was an incredible experience. It gave me an opportunity for a new challenge, to move to the South of France, learn a new culture and to play in some of best atmospheres in club rugby on the biggest stage. It is something I will never forget.
“I’ll always be thankful to Scarlets, where I spent six amazing years of my career after returning home to Wales. It’s a club with so much passion and identity and I loved being part of it. It’s a chapter I’ll always treasure.
“To have the privilege to join the Crusaders, to live in New Zealand and play Super Rugby was an experience of a lifetime
“And to go on to join Harlequins, wear the famous quarters, and be part of such a historic club was a huge honour.
“I feel so fortunate to have represented the clubs I have.
“To play for my country was always a childhood dream. To wear the Wales jersey meant everything to me, and to have the privilege of playing 101 times, including at 3 Rugby World Cups is something I still struggle to put into words. These remain some of the proudest moments of my life.
“To represent the British and Irish Lions was the pinnacle of my career.
“Wearing the Lions jersey was an incredible honour and to play alongside, and against, some of the best in the game, making lifelong friendships is an experience I’ll cherish forever.
“And to be invited to play for the Barbarians and to represent them against the All Blacks remains one of my most memorable weeks in rugby. Moments like that remind you why you fell in love with the game in the first place.
“There have been immense highs that will stay with me forever, along with challenging times that tested me – each one has taught me something and has shaped me into the person I am today.”
Halfpenny’s playing days started with Gorseinon – with his grandfather Malcolm taking him to the Welfare Ground for kicking practise.
Even at the peak of his powers, Gorseinon would remain the place where Halfpenny would perfect his goal-kicking – whether that was Christmas Day sessions or countless hours through lockdown.
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Halfpenny’s Wales career was a remarkable one, being part of three Six Nations triumphs and two runs to World Cup semi-finals.
One of those three Six Nations was also a Grand Slam in 2012, while the following year saw him named player of the tournament.
2013 would prove to be perhaps the highlight of Halfpenny’s career.
Having already been a part of the Lions’ squad to tour South Africa in 2009, only for injury to cut short his first involvement, he proved the catalyst for their series win Down Under four years later.
49 points in the Test series bettered his mentor Jenkins’ Lions record, while the 21 points he scored in the deciding Test was another Lions record.
He finished that tour as the player of the series. Four years later, he would tour New Zealand with the Lions – featuring in one of the Tests.
Having originally been a member of the Ospreys’ academy, Halfpenny signed for Cardiff ahead of the 2007/08 season.
He would remain with the club until 2014, lifting the Challenge Cup and the Anglo-Welsh Cup with the capital club.
Halfpenny then moved to Toulon in 2014, becoming the 10th Welshman at the time to win the Eurpean Champions Cup.
Between 2017 and 2023, Halfpenny spent six season with the Scarlets.
The latter part of his career saw stints with the Crusaders in New Zealand and Harlequins before his return to Cardiff, having helped out Wales as a kicking coach on last summer’s tour of Japan.
A career in coaching, following in the footsteps of Jenkins, seems likely to be his next step as his playing days come to a close.
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