Harlequins lock Matt Symons announces retirement

Harlequins lock Matt Symons has announced that he will retire from rugby at the end of the current season

Symons, 32, will hang up his boots this summer as he calls time on an 11-year playing career that began in Esher and saw him travel to New Zealand to captain the Waikato Chiefs before returning to England to play in the Premiership for London Irish, Wasps and, finally, Harlequins.

A totemic figure within the Quins side that claimed the 2020/21 Premiership title in dramatic fashion, Symons will close his career having played over 80 times in the Quartered jersey over the last four years.

Symon’s route to professional rugby was a rarely-travelled one. First taking up the sport within the Saracens youth system from the age of five, he left the North London side to pursue a career in rowing, going on to take up a spot in the Great Britain rowing programme. A forearm injury prematurely ended Symon’s rowing ambitions, seeing the 6ft 7inch and 120kg lock return to rugby in 2011 to play professionally for Esher.

Impressing during his time in the Greene King IPA Championship, Symons opted to move to New Zealand, settling in Christchurch to play for Canterbury in the ITM Cup as a regular starter. The Harlow-born lock subsequently earned a full-time contract with two-time Super Rugby champions the Chiefs, who he would go on to captain before his eventual return to England in 2015.

As he retires this summer, Symons will transition into a new role in commercial real estate with Jones Lang LaSalle in central London.

Director of Rugby Performance Billy Millard said: “Matt has been an absolute warrior for the Club since he joined us four years ago. He is one of rugby’s good guys and was instrumental to our Premiership win last season. It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with the big man.

“We wish him nothing but the absolute best as he transitions into his new role in the city at the end of the season and we look forward to a few more months of working together at the business end of our campaign before he retires.”