Blade Thomson has announced his retirement from rugby — the second big-name import in the space of a week to flag up his departure from the Scarlets.
The New Zealand-born player follows Sione Kione Kalamafoni, who is joining French second-tier club Vannes at the end of the season on a two-year deal.
In Thomson’s case, he is finishing after a head injury, one of several such knocks the mobile and athletic back rower has had over the years. Many in New Zealand felt he could have been an All Black but for injuries. Instead, he came to Britain and featured for Scotland, qualifying via his paternal grandfather and winning 10 caps.
