Leicester Tigers Mathew Tait retires due to injury

Leicester Tigers Mathew Tait has announced his retirement after 15 years in professional rugby.

The former England player has been unable to recover from an Achilles injury.

The 33-year-old's last game was against former club Sale at the end of last season.

In a statement he said:

Tait made his Tigers debut in September 2011 and won a Premiership title in 2013. He also captained the team, including a European Cup semi-final in 2016 and the Anglo-Welsh Cup Final victory a year later.

He collected his club cap after making his 100th starting appearance in January 2017 and totalled 143 games for the Welford Road club.

England's Mathew Tait in action during the RBS 6 Nations match at Twickenham, London. Credit: PA

Leicester head coach Geordan Murphy said: