Cancer survivor Matthew Rees to call time on lengthy career at end of this season
Matthew Rees will hang up his boots at the end of the season following an illustrious career spanning 19 years.
The Cardiff Blues hooker returned to action at the start of 2019 after recovering from ACL surgery and is fit and available for the remainder of the season. But he will call it quits in May and is determined to go out on a high by helping secure Heineken Champions Cup rugby once more for his home region.
The 38-year-old said: “I’ve made my decision to retire based on a few reasons but mainly age isn’t on my side anymore and it’s been a tough journey with an injury like an ACL reconstruction and its rehabilitation. I’ve managed to get through that and I’m now able retire on my own terms after an illustrious career.
NEWS | Matthew Rees will retire at the end of the season following a unbelievable career. #ThanksSmiler #392AndCounting
Full story to follow… pic.twitter.com/5Ua9rCXD02
— Cardiff Rugby (@Cardiff_Rugby) February 13, 2019
“I haven’t featured much this season because of the injury but now I want to go out on a high. We have three months left and hopefully I can play a part in those remaining games. The next few weeks are going to be huge, especially when you consider how tight it is in the league table.
“We’ve put ourselves in a decent position in the PRO14 and we have some big games coming up. We’ve had a taste of the Champions Cup again and that’s where this region wants to be and where the players want to challenge themselves.”
Rees has already played more professional games of rugby than any other Welshman with 329 professional club and regional appearances to his name as well as 60 Tests for Wales and three for the British & Irish Lions.
His achievements are made all the more remarkable given the fact that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2013, something in which he overcame to continue playing.
He continued: “Starting out at Pontypridd in 2000, I could never have imagined I would achieve what I have. It’s amazing just to be playing professional rugby at the age of 38, especially in the front-row and to have played almost 400 games takes some doing.
“I’ve been very fortunate and I’m really proud of everything I’ve achieved. Playing for Wales is every kid’s dream and the Lions is a big one, especially playing in Test matches. To have also captained the Scarlets, Wales and Cardiff Blues is a massive honour and something I will cherish for the rest of my life.
“The only real frustration is being named captain for the 2011 World Cup and then being ruled out through injury. I would really have liked to have played a part in that, knowing how well we had prepared.
“Being diagnosed with cancer were some of the real dark days of my career. I did think that my professional playing days were over.
It's all to play for in the @PRO14Official with @GlasgowWarriors up next at the @ArmsParkCardiff on Saturday! Make sure you are there for what will be a crucial encounter.
029 20 302030 or https://t.co/YF02TJdHEm for tickets! pic.twitter.com/Tl50DfT1A5
— Cardiff Rugby (@Cardiff_Rugby) February 11, 2019
“Looking back, I probably came back a bit too early but the icing on the cake was earning selection on the Wales tour to South Africa in 2014 and winning two more caps. Overcoming cancer to play a few more seasons is more than I could have imagined.”
Rees is now considering his next steps and would ideally like to remain within rugby. Cardiff Blues head coach John Mulvihill has led the tributes to the man known as Smiler and believes he still has a huge amount to offer to the game.
Mulvihill said: “Smiler is a real warrior of the game and his body and mind have played a massive part in Welsh rugby over more than a decade of service. He is a true champion who has beaten challenges both on and off the field during his illustrious career.
“I spoke to Smiler after his initial injury at the end of last season and said it was his call on whether he was willing to put his body through a lengthy rehab to try and get back to being the number one hooker at the club. I never doubted he would make it back and it was great to have him lead the team out in our final Heineken Champions Cup game in Glasgow last month.
“It was always my intention to let someone who has given such great service to his club and country over so many years to go out on his terms. He is someone who doesn’t want to hang on to make up the numbers, he will go out on his terms and with plenty to look back on with pride.”
“Our entire squad, staff and the Cardiff Blues and Welsh rugby family wish him and his family all the very best for the future. I’m sure he will continue his passion of rugby on in some capacity and share his wealth of knowledge with both current and future players both at the Cardiff Blues and within our region.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments