Cornish Pirates has confirmed the retirement of back-rower Alex Cheesman.
The 29-year-old suffered a series of concussions last season, the last of which he has still not fully recovered from, and after seeking a series of medical opinions the difficult decision had to be made.
Whilst this is a very sad time for Alex, he is so grateful to have spent some of his best rugby years at Pirates. He has said:
Difficult Decision Sees Alex Retire
It is with considerable sadness that news confirms the retirement from playing of back-rower Alex Cheesman. Alex, suffered a series of concussions last season, the last of which he has still not fully recovered from
🐝https://t.co/Y6koSy16JB pic.twitter.com/7kbOsuxTmv— Cornish Pirates (@CornishPirates1) July 24, 2018
“I can think of no better club to end my career. Ever since joining as a fresh-faced 23-year-old back in 2012, I’ve been amazed by the kindness, generosity and passion of the Cornish people and I feel very privileged to have been able to play in front of them and to have shared so many memories with them too.
“My thanks are expressed to every single one of the loyal fans at the club for their unwavering support, the volunteers, my ‘Player Sponsor’ Peter and Anita George from the Logan Rock Inn, staff and directors at the club who made such a huge contribution to my time at Pirates, and, lastly, the coaches and players who I got to play with, who’ve taught me so much, and given me some incredible experiences that I’ll remember forever.
“Whilst I’m gutted I’ll never get the chance to pull on a Pirates shirt again, my wife and I have settled in Cornwall and we intend to stay, so I’ll undoubtedly be down to watch as a supporter this season. So best of luck to everyone for the 2018/19 campaign, I’ll see you at the Mennaye.”