Willemse announces his immediate retirement from rugby

France and Montpellier lock Paul Willemse has announced his immediate retirement from rugby after being out of action for almost a year.

The 32-year-old last played on October 5 2024, managing only five minutes before leaving the field in Montpellier’s Top 14 defeat to Stade Francais.

In a message on social media, the South Arican-born France international cited multiple head injuries as the reason he has brought his career to a close.

The lock finishes his career with 32 caps for Les Bleus to his name, qualifying for France in 2018, and a decade with Montpellier, whom he joined in 2015 from Grenoble. Prior to his time in France, he had spells with the Lions and the Bulls in his native South Africa.

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Internationals

France

17 - 32

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South Africa

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Willemse’s last France appearance ended in ignominy, as he received both a yellow card and a red card in the first half of France’s opening match of the 2024 Six Nations against Ireland. The match was his return to the France set-up after missing the 2023 World Cup through injury.

“After many years on the field, it is time to close this chapter,” he wrote on social media.

“Rugby was not just my career, it was my only dream, my whole life. Choosing to stop after multiple concussions has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made. For a long time, I tried to hold on, because when you’ve lived one dream, it’s frightening to imagine life beyond it. But I’ve come to accept it, and even find comfort.

“I thank the coaches who believed in me, especially those who shaped me as a young man. I thank my family, above all my wife, for walking every step of this road with me. And to the supporters who have followed me from South Africa to France. I carry your voices with me.

“The victories, the struggles, the lessons, I wouldn’t change any of it. It made me the man I am today.

“One dream ends, but the man it shaped remains.”