Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Harlequins' Jack Clifford forced to retire with immediate effect

(Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Harlequins and England back row Jack Clifford has retired from playing with immediate effect following two major shoulder surgeries after a dislocation when playing his 100th game for the London club.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 27-year-old, who impressed as a young flanker when leading the England U20s to a 2013 Junior World Championship, won ten senior Test caps, including two on the 2016 sweep away to Australia. His retirement comes after a 14-year association with Harlequins, whom he first linked up with as a 13-year-old.

Clifford said: “I’m absolutely gutted to be have to call time on my career at a relatively early stage. I have been at Quins since I was 13 years old and made so many good friends here.

Video Spacer

Former Premiership regular and recent cross-channel charity swimmer Alex Grove guests on The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic series

Video Spacer

Former Premiership regular and recent cross-channel charity swimmer Alex Grove guests on The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic series

“It has been an absolute pleasure training and playing with the lads each week and I will miss this environment greatly. I feel proud to have reached 100 appearances for Quins and it is ironic that the injury was sustained in my 100th game!”

Clifford’s senior career began in November 2012 when he made his debut as a replacement in an Anglo-Welsh Cup win over Northampton Saints. He also captained England at U18 and U20 level, going on to play for England in the sevens world series in 2014 before graduating to a senior Test debut in 2016.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEERgaRMsXs/?igshid=5rhmpaalpniu

Harlequins boss Paul Gustard said: “It is with sadness that Jack has been forced to retire from the game prematurely after another serious injury. I have been a huge fan of Jack from my days as an opposition coach and was delighted to be part of an England staff who awarded him his first of ten England caps.

“He was a player who had the ability to change a game with his explosive pace and offloading skills which, allied to his high work rate, meant he was an important player for us last season when he was a mainstay of the side who finished fifth.

ADVERTISEMENT

“He is first and foremost a great human being and I have enjoyed watching him grow as a person and I continually applaud his courage and tenacity to fight back from each serious injury he endured.

“We had signed Jack on a long-term contract at the club as we believed he was a key part of what we are building, so it is disappointing for everyone that we are unable to see his talents on the field once more.”

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

N
NB 43 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Nice bit if revisioniusm but that's all it is JW.


For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].


For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).


As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.


It is also why the European breakaway plotted by LNR and PR back in 2013 had nothing to do with the governing bodies of either England or France - and it most certainly did not have their blessing https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15331030/jean-pierre-lux-anglo-french-cup-detrimental-european-rugby


And from the horse's mouth [ex AB skipper Sean Fitapatrick] about the comp between Top 14 and Super Rugby:


"The Top 14 in France is probably the best rugby competition in the world at the moment, purely for the week-in, week-out.”


“I think the quality of players. They are bigger, they are faster, they are stronger. Which then carries on into the international game.”

Take it from someone who knows JW😅

293 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Why Freddy Douglas has played for Scotland before Edinburgh Why Freddy Douglas has played for Scotland before Edinburgh
Search