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France skipper Ibanez retires from international rugby

France rugby union captain Raphael Ibanez announces his retirement from international rugby in Dax, France, on Thursday. The 34-year-old led the team to the semi-finals of the 2007 World Cup. PHOTO: AP

Hooker Raphael Ibanez, who captained France during last year's rugby World Cup, announced his retirement from the international game on Thursday.

"It's time to call it a day and to pass on the baton to someone else," said the 34-year-old Ibanez, who won 98 caps for France after making his debut in 1996 and is under contract with London Wasps until the end of the season. "I've loved every minute of playing for France and the decision to retire was a very emotional one for me to take."

Ibanez played for his hometown club of Dax in southwest France until 1998 before signing for Perpignan, then moving on to Castres, Saracens and Wasps.

The hooker was part of the France team that won the Six Nations in 1998, 2002, 2006 and last year, including two Grand Slams, and has played in one World Cup final in 1999, and two semi-finals in 2003 and last year.

Ibanez said that he had only reached his decision in the last few days after consulting with France coach Marc Lievremont, who took over from Bernard Laporte after France failed to live up to expectations at the World Cup on home turf last year, losing to England in the semi-finals.

He indicated that he would have been interested in playing on a while longer to reach a century of caps, but that the new coaching team had been keen to move on and start building a squad for the next World Cup finals in New Zealand in 2011.

On the club front, Ibanez said he had yet to reach a decision for next year and that Wasps had offered him a one-year extension to his contract.

But he was also looking at an approach from the French Rugby Federation to become involved in one of their long-term projects.

France team manager Jo Maso said that Ibanez had made a huge contribution to French rugby over the last decade.

"He was a great skipper and left his mark on the game, both at club level and international level and he was a key element for us interfacing between the players and the coaching staff," Maso said. "But it is a wise decision he has taken."
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