GB Sevens captain announces retirement alongside teammate

Great Britain Sevens men's captain Robbie Fergusson has announced his retirement from rugby alongside teammate Jamie Farndale.

The pair have made the announcement just days after GB failed to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games next in July, losing to South Africa 14-5 in the final of the Olympic repechage in Monaco.

Fergusson, 30, captained GB in Monaco, as he did for much of the HSBC SVNS Series this year, while Farndale, 30, did not feature at the tournament.

Between them, the duo have played more than 560 matches on the sevens circuit for both GB and Scotland, who both players have captained.

Fergusson also registered his 50th world series tournament at the Madrid SVNS Grand Final in May, seven years after making his debut in Dubai in 2017.

“7s is an incredible environment to be part of and I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to do it for this long," Fergusson said after announcing his retirement.

“Off-field the memories and friendships I have made will last a lifetime. On-field, making the Olympic squad for 2020 is a career highlight with the work that went into getting selected for that and more recently, beating Australia in Singapore to keep Great Britain on the World SVNS Series circuit was very special.”

Farndale made his debut two years prior to Fergusson, and went on to become Scotland's highest try scorer in the format, crossing the line 136 times on the circuit.

“I am so grateful for the experiences that rugby has given me and the people that I’ve met along the way," he said.

“There are so many moments that I will live with me forever. In terms of a highlight, it is hard to look past becoming the first and only Scottish team to beat the All Blacks on the way to beating England in their own back yard to lift the trophy at Twickenham in 2017. That day was so incredibly special!”