It’s time to say goodbye: Bryan Habana
Springbok legend Bryan
Habana has announced that he will retire
from rugby at the end of the season.
The 34-year-old was in 2007 named the World Rugby Player of the Year.
Habana is the only player since rugby unity in 1992 who has won the SA Rugby Player of the Year Award three times – in 2005, 2007 and 2012.
SA Rugby President, Mark Alexander, says the union was privileged to have witnessed Habana’s career and that he will always be remembered as one of the great legends of the game.
“During a career that spanned more than a decade and a half, he stood out as one of the most professional players ever to don the Springbok jersey, and over the years Bryan has been central to many of the most memorable occasions in the era of professional rugby.”
Habana atook to Instagram to express his gratitude to the game.
Habana wrote the moment has come knocking and he welcomes it with a drink.
"I, like most, would have liked my career to have ended differently, but sometimes things don’t turn out quite the way we hope for," he wrote.
"It’s time to say goodbye and thank you to the game I so dearly love."
Career highlights:
• Became the first South African to reach 50 Test tries when he scored twice against Samoa in June 2013.
• Became the fourth Springbok to reach 100 Test caps against Australia in Perth in 2014, behind Percy Montgomery, John Smit and Victor Matfield.
• Scored the most Vodacom Super Rugby tries by any South African.
• Played 123 Tests on the wing and once at centre.
• Other international matches: four tour matches for South Africa and three matches for the Barbarians.
• Holds the record for the most career tries in the Castle Rugby Championship (21).
• Honours: SA Rugby Player of the Year (2012, 2007 & 2005); Young Player of the Year (2004); World Rugby Player of the Year (2007); Vodacom Super Rugby Player of the Tournament (2005); SuperSport Try of the Year (2005, Vodacom Bulls vs Blues in Pretoria; 2007, Vodacom Bulls vs Cell C Sharks in the Final in Durban; and 2012, South Africa vs New Zealand in Dunedin).
• Scored a record-equalling eight tries during RWC 2007.
• Equalled Jonah Lomu's record of 15 tries in all RWC games in 2015.