England captain Owen Farrell has introduced he’s taking a break from worldwide rugby.
His membership facet Saracens mentioned the 32-year-old was stepping again from the nationwide facet to “prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being”.
It means the fly-half won’t be accessible for choice for the 2024 Six Nations.
He will proceed to play for Saracens and captain the membership.
“As always, Owen will have the full support of everyone at the club,” Saracens mentioned in a press release.
England coach Steve Borthwick mentioned in a press release: “Everyone at England Rugby is fully behind Owen’s decision.
“Since making his debut, he has been an integral a part of the England set-up for over a decade, and the calls for on elite athletes are extraordinarily difficult.
“It is with typical courage that Owen has made this decision to open up in this manner.
“Together with all of us at England Rugby, I’ll do all the things I can to make sure that he has the help he requires going ahead.”
The Rugby Players Association (RPA) – the consultant physique {of professional} rugby gamers in England – additionally mentioned Farrell had its “unconditional support”.
“He is a leader and a figurehead in the English game, but is also an individual, husband and father,” the RPA mentioned in a press release.
“His well-being comes first, and we will support him in every way we can going forward.”
Farrell is England’s highest factors scorer of all time in rugby union, with greater than 1,200 factors in 112 checks for his nation.
He eclipsed the earlier document of 1,179, set by England’s Rugby World Cup-winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, in October in a match in opposition to Samoa.
Farrell made his debut for England in 2012 in opposition to Scotland in that yr’s Six Nations match.
He kicked two penalties and a conversion in his first sport, earlier than following up with a faultless kicking show in opposition to Italy in his subsequent – ultimately ending the competitors with 63 factors from 5 video games.
Farrell was one among England’s vice-captains within the 2016 Grand Slam Six Nations win and helped his nation retain the trophy the next yr.
He additionally captained the facet to the 2020 Six Nations trophy, in addition to a second-placed end within the 2019 Rugby World Cup and a third-placed end on this yr’s match.
However, whereas a vocal participant on the sphere, former England coach Stuart Lancaster informed The Times newspaper in 2022 that he’s “more introverted than extroverted” off it.
Farrell additionally informed the BBC in 2018: “I’ve always been comfortable speaking, especially on the field. Probably not as much off the field.”
Farrell is just not the primary high-profile English sports activities star to step again as a result of psychological well being.
In 2021, England Cricket Test captain, Ben Stokes, took a six-month break from the game after affected by panic assaults.
Earlier this yr, British gymnastics star Ellie Downie introduced her retirement from the game, aged 23, to prioritise her “mental health and happiness”.
Source: information.sky.com”