Devin Toner has confirmed that he will retire at the end of the current rugby season after a glittering career.
The Meath native confirmed the news this morning in a statement on the Leinster Rugby website.
Toner, who turns 36 in June, made his Leinster debut in 2006, and has gone on to become Leinster's most capped player with 276 appearances.
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He four Heineken Cups, a Challenge Cup and seven league titles, and in that time Toner also won 70 international caps, which included three Six Nations titles, as well as a Grand Slam in 2018.
"There is never a right time I suppose and you would love to keep playing but I feel very lucky to have had the career that I have had and I am able to leave the sport that I love and the club that I love, in good health and on my own terms," he said.
"I have been around the club for long enough to understand that not everyone is that lucky, and I feel that the time is right now to focus on that next chapter and of course, spending more time with Mary, with Max and with Grace."
"They, and Mary in particular, have put their lives on hold to enable me to perform and I couldn’t have done it without them. So now it’s about them and us all enjoying more time together."
Leo Cullen added: "Big Dev has made an immense impact on Leinster and Irish rugby. I can still remember Devin when I first saw him play as an Irish Schoolboy against Wales in Donnybrook. What an outstanding career he has gone on to achieve since."
"I have been lucky to have had the opportunity to both play with and coach Devin and he has always been a pleasure to work with. He has been such a well-liked and respected member of the Leinster dressing room and his easy nature has allowed him to forge many strong relationships in the game."
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