Ben Youngs confirms his retirement from international rugby, with England’s most-capped men’s player set to bow out in Friday’s Bronze match at the World Cup against Argentina
- Ben Youngs will retire from international rugby at the end of the World Cup
- He is England’s most-capped men’s player, and will earn his 127th cap on Friday
- Youngs will bow out after winning the Six Nations three times in his career
- Latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news, including fixtures, live scores and results
England’s most-capped men’s player Ben Youngs has announced that he will retire from international rugby at the end of the World Cup.
Youngs, 34, is set to earn his 127th cap when he starts England’s Bronze match against Argentina on Friday, and he will be looking to bow out with a final World Cup win.
He confirmed his decision on BBC’s 5 Live Sport on Wednesday shortly after being named in Steve Borthwick’s starting XV to face their South American opponents.
Youngs’ international career has spanned over 13 years since he made his debut in the Calcutta Cup against Scotland in March 2010.
He marked his first start for his country with a solo try in a narrow 21-20 win over Australia later that summer, and went on to play in the World Cup the following year, with England making the quarter-finals before being knocked out by France.
Ben Youngs will call time on his international career after Friday’s Bronze match at the World Cup
Youngs has won the Six Nations three times and will retire after winning his 127th cap on Friday
Youngs scored a try on his first international start back in 2010, and has been a key part of England’s success over the last 13 years
Youngs would go on to play in three more World Cups, and played a key role in England’s run to the final in 2019 before they fell short against South Africa.
He has fallen behind Alex Mitchell and Danny Care in the pecking order for this year’s tournament, but will get one final chance to try to help England secure a third-placed finish on Friday.
He would have wished to finish on the ultimate high of playing in another final, but England’s dream of a second World Cup triumph was ended last week when they slipped to a 16-15 defeat against South Africa.
Still, Youngs can look back on a glittering career that saw him win the Six Nations three times, which included being part of the team that claimed the Grand Slam in 2016 under Eddie Jones.
He has scored 20 tries in his 126 matches to date, and overtook Jason Leonard as England’s most-capped men’s player in February 2022.
He is the second vastly experienced English player to announce his retirement this week after Courtney Lawes confirmed he will be walking away on Sunday.
Lawes has not made the squad for Friday’s game, with Borthwick picking some previously out-of-favour players after a long tournament, meaning he will not get one last hurrah alongside Youngs.
Courtney Lawes also confirmed his retirement over the weekend after England’s defeat by South Africa
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