England forward George Kruis announces retirement

England lock George Kruis has today announced that after a successful 13-year career, he will be retiring from professional rugby.

 

 

 

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“My rugby career has been amazing, the friends and experiences I have made will shape the rest of my life,” said Kruis.

“I have always given 100% to everything I do and right now I’m planning on my focus being 100% on building the fourfive.com brand when I finish with Saitama Wild Knights in May.

‘For me, I need to embrace my business and the opportunity it presents. I want and need to challenge myself to replicate my international standard off the field – and build the fourfive brand.”

On the international stage, the British & Irish Lion earned his first senior England cap against New Zealand in the 2014 Autumn Internationals.

Kruis continued to impress for club and country as he won the Champions Cup and Premiership double for the 2018/19 season with Saracens before he was named in England's Rugby World Cup squad.

He helped England reach the Rugby World Cup Final, his second tournament, before being named in their squad for the 2020 Six Nations.

Despite being at Saracens during the era of the salary cap breaches, he said: 'The amount of good times - whether it be trips or trophies, relationships built; that's the biggest thing I will treasure.'

In May 2020, Kruis announced he would leave Saracens for Japanese Top League side, Panasonic Wildknights.