Former Wallabies flanker David Pocock has been hailed as one of the greatest players ever by fans across the world after announcing his retirement from all forms of rugby on Friday.
The 32-year-old had been chronicling his career in pictures on social media over the past week, so there was the sense that his retirement was impending. These photos dated back to 2005 where he signed for the Western Force after leaving school.
Having bowed out of the Test arena after the World Cup last year, Pocock, the 83-cap Wallabies back row, was playing in Japan for the Panasonic Wild Knights until the Top League season was abandoned in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With this indefinite break, Pocock said on Instagram that it "feels like the right time to retire from rugby" before thanking those that helped him have the career he had. The response from the rugby world on social media was seismic, with the loose forward praised for his superiority at the breakdown.