George Ford makes England retirement decision after snub

The experienced playmaker started England’s opening Six Nations defeats against Scotland and Ireland before being left out of the matchday squad entirely in the following rounds.

Despite the omission, Ford remained involved with the team, travelling with the squad to Italy and France where he took on more of a leadership and mentoring role with the younger players.

The 31-year-old is also approaching a major milestone in his international career, sitting on the verge of his 100th England cap.

Speaking ahead of the landmark, Ford made it clear that reaching the century mark would not signal the end of his international ambitions.

“It’s a milestone and one I’d be very proud to achieve. To get anywhere near 100 caps for your country shows the level of consistency you need to do that,” he said.

“Having said that, I’m not looking to get to 100 and stop. It’s not the end goal, 100 and I’ll walk away into the distance. I still believe that I can perform and play at this very top level and I’m excited and hungry to do so.”

Ford also believes the fly-half position allows players to extend their careers longer than most roles in rugby.

“I think fly-half, scrum-half, it’s one of the few positions where you probably see people going into their late 30s,” he added.

“I feel good physically, I’m hungry, that’s the important thing. I’m probably as motivated as I’ve ever been.”

Surnames only will be accepted.