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On this day: Martin Johnson announces international rugby retirement
By PA
England’s World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson announced his retirement from international rugby as a player on this day in 2004.
Johnson, who led England to their World Cup triumph in Australia the previous November, was 33 when he called time on an illustrious 10-year Test career.
He confirmed his widely-anticipated decision by releasing a statement during Leicester’s Heineken Cup win against Ulster at Welford Road on January 17, 2004.
Johnson won 84 caps and led his country 39 times, including the thrilling extra-time World Cup final victory over Australia in Sydney and a Six Nations Championship Grand Slam the same year.
He was also the captain on two Lions tours, inspiring a 1997 Test series triumph in South Africa and being at the helm in Australia four years later.
On the domestic front, he skippered Leicester to 2001 and 2002 Heineken Cup triumphs and oversaw four Premiership title wins in as many seasons.
Fittingly, his final England appearance was the World Cup final when host nation and holders Australia were defeated in one of rugby union’s classic matches.
Leicester’s talisman second-row forward enjoyed a remarkable international innings when he established himself as his country’s greatest captain as England produced some unforgettable moments.
They beat Australia twice Down Under in the same year and defeated New Zealand away for the first time in 30 years before landing rugby union’s ultimate prize.
In the summer of 2008, Johnson was unveiled as England head coach.
During his tenure, the Red Rose won the 2011 Six Nations Championship, their first triumph since Johnson captained them to glory eight years earlier.
But Johnson left his post later that year following England’s World Cup quarter-final exit to France in Auckland. He has not taken up another management position in the game since.
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Latest Comments
You can’t suddenly have a national club game in NZ. Still, our model in NZ is too expensive to run. 26 provincial unions, a Maori union a school union and probably a university union too, all held up by NZR if they make a loss, who would be in dire straits without the Silver Lake money themselves NZR contracts and pays our SR players… And one team has to bring most of the cash in by playing 13 or 14 tests a season. We can’t keep going like that.
French club money hasn’t done much for their test sides because their clubs never cared much for the national team. They got foreign players in all the time (at the expense of home grown players) until they were forced by the FFR to select 15 home grown players for the matchday 23 in 2017. Only then they started to invest in academies. France have been in every U20 WC final since 2019 and only lost one. And the FFR and clubs actually started to work together, which resulted in France sending development sides on their July tours for years now. It’s only just started. French rugby is a beast and it’s awake now.
Clubs in Europe are there for themselves, in every sport. Not for the national team. That’s the union’s or federation’s job. EPL clubs don’t care much about the FA either. Most only field 2 or 3 Englsh players every game.
Go to commentsVamos Toto, vamos Pumas!!!!
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