England veteran Courtney Lawes has announced his retirement from international rugby, bringing to an end a 14-year career.
34-year-old Lawes, who debuted alongside now coach Steve Borthwick in the second row in 2009, ends his career as the third most-capped forward in England’s history with 105 appearances and will add one more if selected on Friday.
The losing semi-finalists’ vice-captain also skippered his country a dozen times, most recently in their first two pool stage games in this tournament he they beat both the Pumas and Japan.
“I think it’s time. I’ve done four World Cups, so I’m pretty happy with that,” he said. “I haven’t told Steve yet! But I will let him know.
“It’s a bit of an end of an era, but it’s been a real honour for me to represent England for so long. It flies by. I’m proud of the journey I’ve been on. To be able to finish with this group, it’s something I’ll treasure forever.”
In Lawes’ four World Cups, he has seen England’s hopes of adding to their 2003 success end at four separate stages: The pool stage in 2015, quarter-finals in 2011, semi-finals in 2023 and final in 2019.
He has been at the forefront of an ultimately successful period for the men in white, however, winning Six Nations titles in 2011, 2016, 2017 and 2020, in addition to series wins in Argentina in 2013 and Australia in 2016 and 2022 – the latter of which where he led the side.
The highs and lows of his career were also mentioned by Lawes, who added: “I’m proud of the journey I’ve been on. It’s not always been the ups. Plenty of downs in there, but I’ve pushed through.
“I’m not an emotional person really, but it’s just been a huge honour for me.
“To be able to finish with this group, it’s something I’ll treasure forever.”
Lawes was also selected for the British and Irish Lions tours to New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa in 2021, featuring in five of the six tests played in the two series against the host countries.
Despite England’s exit at this tournament Lawes ends his career on a high note, having been an integral part of seeing them through to only their second semi-final since 2007.
He has consistently topped the charts for tackling statistics in the matches he has played, made four turnovers against Fiji as England edged their quarter-final and showed quick-thinking to score only his second international career try against Japan after the ball was headed on by teammate Joe Marler, as other players stopped thinking the prop had knocked it on.
Whilst obviously being disappointed with England’s exit, the player who has developed into one of his country’s all-time great blindside flankers was proud of how they had performed to get as far as they did at the competition.
“[The semi-final was] one of those where we thought we had it, but let it slip away at the same time,” said Lawes.
“But we’ve proved a lot of people wrong. You give it all you’ve got. It’s sport, isn’t it? That’s what it means at the highest level. You get a couple of things wrong and get punished.
“But a lot of people thought we’d have struggled, and in the end we were unlucky to lose.”
Lawes will continue to play in the Premiership with Northampton Saints, where he will likely end his domestic career after signing a new contract with the club in April of this year.
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