France prop Jefferson Poirot has retired from international rugby union at the age of 27, even though the national team is on an upward curve, because he wants to focus entirely on his club commitments.
Poirot, who scored his only try in 36 Tests for France during last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, plays for Union Bordeaux Begles in the French Top 14.
“This decision means I will no longer have the feeling of playing at 50 percent on every front and to refocus on one objective at 100 percent,” Poirot wrote on Instagram.
Photo: AP
“The objective which obsesses me the most is winning trophies at club level, to go up another level in my career as a player and to be a full-time dad,” he wrote.
Poirot led France for one game at the Rugby World Cup as part of a captaincy rotation policy and many observers expected him to take over as full-time captain from hooker Guilhem Guirado after the tournament, which saw France narrowly lose to Wales in the quarter-finals. Guirado has also retired from internationals.
However, new France coach Fabien Galthie gave the armband to the less experienced Charles Ollivon and the rampaging flanker has proved a revelation in the unexpected captaincy role.
Galthie even dropped Poirot from the squad for a Six Nations match against Wales earlier this year.
“Those who don’t know me might be surprised, may be disappointed [by my decision]. Those who know me can understand,” wrote Poirot, reflecting on his choice. “Those who are close to me support me and this decision has been maturely thought through. In no way was it taken on a whim.”
Yet his decision to walk away comes just as France has turned the corner after years of mediocrity at international level.
Galthie has completely revitalized the side and infused it with younger players, while instilling greater fitness and composure under pressure.
The decision was a surprise considering, at 27, Poirot is entering his prime years and France are due to host the next Rugby World Cup in 2023.
Champagne corks often pop and loud, boisterous cheers are usually heard around Constitution Dock when the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honors winner finishes in the Tasmanian state capital. There were no such celebrations this year when the defending champions on board LawConnect won the race in the early hours of yesterday morning, as it came about 24 hours after two sailors died on separate boats in sail boom accidents two hours apart on a storm-ravaged first night of the race. LawConnect, a 100-foot super maxi skippered by Australian tech millionaire Christian Beck, sailed up the River Derwent at just after 2:30am.
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
HAT-TRICK PREP: World No. 1 Sabalenka clinched her first win of the season, as she aims to become the first woman in 20 years to win three Australian Opens in succession Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz yesterday all clocked impressive wins as tennis powerhouses Italy and the US surged into the quarter-finals of the mixed-team United Cup. World No. 3 Gauff swept past Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-2 to avenge a loss at the Paris Olympics, while Fritz took care of Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 in searing Perth heat. That was enough to put the Americans — last year’s winners — into a last-eight clash with China today, while Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan today are to meet defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, in the other Perth quarter-final. In Sydney, the in-form
Chess great Magnus Carlsen on Friday quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York after governing body FIDE barred the Norwegian from participating in a round at the tournament for wearing jeans. FIDE said in a statement that its dress code regulations were designed to “ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.” It issued Carlsen a US$200 fine and gave him an opportunity to change into the correct attire, which the world No. 1 rejected, it said. Carlsen said he had a lunch meeting before the round and had to change quickly. “I put on a shirt, jacket and honestly like
RSS