Tom May to retire at season's end

London Welsh captain Tom May has announced that he will retire from rugby at the end of the 2014/15 season.

The 35-year-old led the Exiles to the Championship title last season and has led them during this season's Aviva Premiership campaign.

He previously played for Newcastle Falcons, Northampton and Toulon, and won two England caps in 2009.

The centre has scored eight tries for Welsh - the same number he scored for Northampton between 2011 and 2013.

He began his career at Newcastle in 1999, playing 267 matches and scoring 66 tries helping the side win the 2001 Tetley's Bitter Cup final and the 2004 Powergen Cup.

He headed for France in 2009 and helped Toulon reach the semi-finals of the Top 14 and the final of the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Two caps during England's summer tour of Argentina followed before he returned to England with Northampton in 2011.

After 53 appearances, he swapped the East Midlands for London Welsh in 2013.

"It’s a tough decision to make because I’ve been playing for quite a while and it’s what I’ve grown up knowing, so there’s a certain amount of fear that goes with making that decision but also a huge amount of excitement," he said.
 
"I’ve been lucky to play for some really great clubs which have given me a huge amount of opportunities - Newcastle, where it all started, Toulon, Northampton and then having the opportunity to try and create something with London Welsh in terms of getting out of the Championship and then playing this season in the Premiership.
 
"This season hasn’t gone as we would have hoped but I’ve really enjoyed working with the guys at London Welsh.

"I’ve enjoyed been part of a group led by Justin [Burnell] but I know for a fact that I can’t keep on going for another year.
 
"People say ‘you’re a long time retired’ and you are, but if you’re waking up in the morning and you’re struggling then you know that’s the time to retire, however difficult it may be.
 
"Most people would point to international caps as being the highlight of a player’s career and indeed they were.

"I didn’t get capped till I was 30 and I’d worked very hard for 11-12 years to get there, but winning something with your mates, who you work with day in, day out, is something truly special and I’ve managed to do that three times. Those moments are ultimately what you do it all for.
 
"As for the future, it’s hard to turn your back on something that’s been such a big part of your life for so long, so I’ve got my own business Everything for Rugby, which is geared at grassroots rugby, I’m exploring different avenues in the media world and I’m doing some player management.

"Luther Burrell and Lee Dickson are two of the players I look after and it’s exciting and interesting. It’s good to be able to try and help them.
 
"I’d like to be remembered as someone who worked very hard and gave all he had. I wasn’t one of those guys with an abundance of skill or was unbelievably rapid, I’ve just worked really hard and that’s something I can be proud of looking back, that I gave it as good a shot as I could."