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Dan Bowden calls time
By Online Editors
Longtime Kiwi professional rugby player Dan Bowden has announced his retirement from professional rugby.
The 32-year-old released a statement on social media detailing his decision to step away from the game.
Bowden cites injury as a significant reason, noting that he has 'struggled with concussion and 11 surgeries', and that 'the old body' has let him know it was time to hang up the boots.
Auckland-born Bowden made his professional debut in 2005 aged just 18 when he ran out for Northland in New Zealand's National Provincial Championship. He was named player of the year in 2007.
Bowden later played for both Otago and Auckland, suiting up for the latter as recently as last year.
He also played for three Super Rugby franchises in the Blues, Highlanders and Crusaders, starting the 2010 Super Rugby semi-final alongside Dan Carter.
Bowden also had a successful career in the northern hemisphere, recording stints with Italian club Parma, Premiership sides London Irish, Leicester and Bath, and Japanese club Yamaha.
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Latest Comments
The England backs can't be that dumb, he has been playing on and off for the last couple of years. If they are too slow to keep up with him that's another matter.
He was the only thing stopping England from getting their arses handed to them in the Aussie game. If you can't fit a player with that skill set into an England team then they are stuffed.
Go to commentsSteve Borthwick appointment was misguided based on two flawed premises.
1. An overblown sense of the quality of the premiership rugby. The gap between the Premiership and Test rugby is enormous
2. England needed an English coach who understood English Rugby and it's traditional strengths.
SB won the premiership and was an England forward and did a great job with the Japanese forwards but neither of those qualify you as a tier 1 test manager.
Maybe Felix Jones and Aled Walter's departures are down to the fact that SB is a details man, which work at club level but at test level you need the manager to manage and let the coaches get on and do what they are employed for.
SB criticism of players is straight out of Eddie Jones playbook but his loyalty to keeping out of form players borne out of his perceived sense of betrayal as a player.
In all it doesn't stack up as the qualities needed to be a modern Test coach /Manager
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