Here’s half-a-dozen rugby players who quit in their prime...
1. Barry John
Barry John is arguably the finest outside-half of all time. During his short playing career he was revered in Wales as "The King" and feared by opposition defences as a majestic yet unpredictable pivot behind the scrum. The Wales and British & Irish Lions legend was 27 when he retired and there was no way back then because he professionalised himself by writing his autobiography and becoming a newspaper columnist.
2. Alex Corbisiero
Born in New York City, Corbisiero represented England at age grade and Saxons levels before being handed his Test debut against Italy in the 2011 Six Nations. Initially taking a 12-month break aged 27, his sabbatical seems to have become indefinite.
3. Christian Wade
The 27-year old had spent his senior career with Wasps but wasn't considered by England since Eddie Jones took over as head coach at the end of 2015. Having stepped away from rugby, he will now attempt to break into American football through its international player pathway programme.
4. Michael Allen
Allen left the professional game at the end of the 2016/17 season to embark on a new career in the financial sector in the Scottish capital. The 26-year-old centre played for Edinburgh and Ulster before hanging up his boots.
5. Tom Catterick
Tom Catterick insisted he will always be a Newcastle Falcons fan despite retiring from professional rugby at the age of 26 in 2017. Having made 106 senior appearances over nine seasons the academy graduate has announced he will step away from the full-time game, explaining he's: "taking a change of direction in my life."
6. Johan Goosen
Despite signing a contract extension to remain in Paris until 2020, he later announced his retirement from rugby in December 2016 to take up a role as a commercial director at an agricultural company in South Africa. He made his return to competitive rugby in April 2018 with the Cheetahs before later joining Montpellier.
