Scarlets back rower Blade Thomson to retire from rugby

Scarlets back-rower Blade Thomson has announced that he will be retiring from professional rugby.

The decision follows after he failed to make sufficient recovery from a head injury.

The 32-year-old has been part of Scarlets since 2018 and has racked up 54 appearances for them scoring three tries.

He was also part of the New Zealand Under 20 side that won the Junior World Championship in 2010 and has 10 Test caps for Scotland that came between 2019 and 2021. He was also part of the Scotland squad that featured in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

“Myself and my family have come to this decision and I’d like to thank everyone, coaches, players, the back-room and medical staff and all the fans for their support," he told in a statement released by the club.

“We’ve been made welcome from the moment we came to Llanelli. It’s a special place to play and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, making more than 50 appearances for the Scarlets and having the honour of representing Scotland.

“We will leave with fond memories of our time here.”

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel heaped praises on Thomson and his contribution to the club.

“Blade has been an outstanding Scarlet, on and off the field and we are sad to hear this news, but it is the right decision for him and his family.

"He is one of the best technical forwards I have coached, a player who gave everything to the cause and a hugely popular member of the squad.”