Former England international Lee Dickson to retire at end of season

Former England international Lee Dickson has announced that he will retire from professional rugby at the end of the ongoing season.

Dickson made his professional rugby debut with Newcastle Falcons in 2004 but significant amount of his career was spent with Northampton Saints when he joined them in 2008. He has racked up over 250 appearances for the Franklin's Gardens outfit and even went on to captain them in the 2015/16 season when he replaced Dylan Hartley.

Overall, he has featured in 216 Premiership games with 175 out of it coming for Northampton Saints and the other 41 for the Falcons.

"This is one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make," said Dickson, who is currently playing for Bedford Blues.

"And one that I haven't made lightly. I've had two fantastic years at Bedford Blues. But, ultimately, I always wanted to finish my career on my own terms rather than being forced into a decision.

"The timing feels right for both me and my family. I've been offered a fantastic opportunity to bring through the next batch of rugby stars."

Dickson's England debut came in 2012 and has played in 18 Tests with his last appearance at the international level coming in 2014.