Wales legend Alun Wyn Jones has announced his shock retirement from international rugby just months out from the World Cup.
His decision makes it a double whammy for Welsh rugby, with veteran flanker Justin Tupiric having also announced on Friday afternoon he was standing down from the Test scene with immediate effect.
Former Wales skipper Jones said on Instagram: "Having been selected in the preliminary RWC squad and after ongoing dialogue with the coaching staff and WRU I have decided to step away from the international game".
READ MORE: For Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric updates see our blog here
Alun Wyn's call to hang up his Wales boots comes after a stellar 17-year international career which saw him play a record 158 times for his country and in 12 Tests for the Lions over four tours in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021. He made his Test debut in 2006.
Alun Wyn's statement in full read as follows: "Having been selected in this year’s preliminary Rugby World Cup squad, and after ongoing dialogue with the coaching staff and the WRU, I have decided to step away from the international game.
"So, after 17 years I look back on special memories with Welsh greats and future Welsh greats. My grandfather and father nurtured my passion for rugby in my younger days which has continued throughout.
"The opportunity to be professional in the sport I love was a dream come true and to represent my home region, the Ospreys and clubs within the region, namely Mumbles and particularly Bonymaen who guided me in my formative years, was beyond special and something for which I am hugely grateful.
"A huge thank you to the staff and players who have been part of my journey, I wish you well for the future. To the supporters, thank you for the support and making the most special occasions even more memorable.
"To the people closest to me, my family, I couldn’t have done it without you. Through injury, loss and success, you’ve always been there and will be for whatever’s next. Despite all I have accomplished, my children will always be my biggest achievement.
"Diolch, Alun Wyn."
Alun Wyn's incredible Wales career started when he played as a flanker under Gareth Jenkins on the 2006 summer tour to Argentina.
He went on to smash a plethora of records, mainly as second-row, and in October 2020 overtook Richie McCaw as world rugby's most capped player in history when he appeared in his 149th Test. That was a clash against Scotland.
In the end Alun Wyn made 170 international appearances, including 12 Tests over those Lions tours to South Africa (twice), Australia and New Zealand. He was Warren Gatland's Lions captain against the word champion Springboks in 2021.
His leadership qualities, and ability to lead from the front in every sense, made him a critical cog in the Wales team for well over a decade. However, in more recent times Alyn Wyn was unable to secure the automatic starting berth that had previously become the norm over such a period of time.
As with Tipuric, he was named by Gatland in the extended squad to begin preparations for this autumn's World Cup in France. But the pair of them have chosen to stand aside before the training camps get underway in earnest, leaving other younger stars needing to step up to fill the voids.
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