Stalwart Exeter Chiefs forward Don Armand to retire at the end of the season

Exeter Chiefs and England forward Don Armand will retire at the end of the season.

The Zimbabwean-born forward was brought to Devon back in 2013 from the DHL Stormers, the 33-year-old forward has since established himself as one of the club’s modern-day legends, helping them to both domestic and European glory.

A wrist injury has ruled Armand out for the rest of the season, so he won’t be able to pull on the Chiefs jersey in a competitive fixture again.

After 193 appearances and 37 tries for Exeter, Armand is now calling time on his nine-year stint at Sandy Park and will focus his attentions on family life and business matters away from the club.

“I’ve had a while to think about it because it wasn’t an easy decision,” explained Armand to the Exeter Chiefs website.

“Having done that, I know this is the right thing for me and my family. Bringing to an end a lifetime of rugby, it does fill me with sadness, but equally I go away with so many happy memories.

“There’s no doubt playing the game has made me a way better person than if I went down another route in life. I’ve had so many valuable life lessons, all of which have an influence on you as a person, and it’s those lessons I will use for the next chapter in my life.”

He established himself as one of the leading loose forwards in the Premiership as Exeter made their first end-of-season final in 2016, and started Exeter’s first four visits to Twickenham – captaining them in the 2018 final defeat by Saracens, having helped them win their first title 12 months earlier.

But he failed to break into the reckoning with England – his two caps were both as a replacement – once against Argentina during a tour in 2017, and against Ireland in the Six Nations the year after.

Reflecting on his time at the club, he said: “It’s been out of this world.

“Someone said to me before I arrived, it will be the best club other than my Uni that I could come to, and they were spot on!

“I do call that person the Oracle and they were spot on. In terms of community, supporters, the club in general, the people within the club, it fit right into the mould that I was used to and thrived in back in South Africa.

“I am super grateful for the club allowing me to wear the badge, represent them on the field and, hopefully, I have been able, both on and off the field, to carry forward all that passion in my performances.”