Former Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw announces retirement from rugby

Former Scotland captain and scrum-half Greig Laidlaw has announced he is retiring from rugby.

The 37-year-old from Jedburgh began his career with Edinburgh before moving on to Gloucester and Clermont Auvergne. He currently plays for Japanese club Urayasu D-Rocks.

Laidlaw earned 76 caps, including 39 Test appearances as captain, and toured New Zealand with the 2017 British and Irish Lions.

He retired from international rugby after the 2019 World Cup in Japan and now plans to start a coaching career.

On Instagram, he said: "We intend as a family to stay in Japan a while longer, but it is here I will finally hang up my playing boots. It is time to take everything I have learnt from a playing career I could only have dreamt of and move on into coaching.

"Throughout my playing career I have pushed myself, I have taken on new experiences, continuously learnt and immersed myself in different cultures. I have always enjoyed figuring out how to work as a team and how to get the best out of my teammates, things I will take with me and continue to develop."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...