England scrum-half Danny Care announced Monday that he was retiring from international duty at the age of 37, stressing that having worn the XV de la Rose jersey “meant a lot” to him.
The Harlequins player honored his 101st and final selection with England during the defeat against the French XV at the end of the Six Nations Tournament on March 16 in Marseille (33-31). He made his international debut 16 years earlier against New Zealand in 2008.
“Playing for England has been everything to me,” Danny Care said on his social media. “It meant a lot to me to represent this country. I never took it for granted, I would never take it for granted.”
Danny Care became the sixth English player to reach 100 caps during the XV de la Rose’s narrow victory against Ireland (23-22) on March 9 at Twickenham.
After being sidelined for four years, he was recalled for last year’s Six Nations and retained by coach Steve Borthwick for last fall’s World Cup, which England completed. to an unexpected third place.
Care participated in six of the seven matches played by the English XV during this competition, notably scoring a decisive try in the group stage against Samoa (18-17 victory).
“All good things come to an end at some point,” Care said. “I feel like it’s time to pass the torch.”
Care began his professional career at Leeds in 2004 before joining Harlequins two years later, with whom he made 360 appearances. Double champion of England (2012, 2021), he also won the European Challenge in 2011.
