Friday 9 January 2015 14:20, UK
London Welsh captain and former England back Tom May has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
The 35-year-old won two caps for England against Argentina in 2009 and also represented his country in Sevens.
"It’s a tough decision to make because I’ve been playing for quite a while and it’s what I’ve grown up knowing, so there’s a certain amount of fear that goes with making that decision but also a huge amount of excitement," said May.
“I’ve been lucky to play for some really great clubs and then having the opportunity to try to create something with London Welsh in terms of getting out of the Championship and then playing in the Premiership."
London Welsh are all but certain to be relegated, sitting bottom of the table with 12 defeats from 12 matches and a points difference of -436, but May said the team's plight was not a factor in his decision.
“This season hasn’t gone as we would have hoped but I’ve really enjoyed working with the guys at London Welsh," he added.
I’d like to be remembered as someone who worked very hard and gave all he had
“People say ‘you’re a long time retired’ and you are, but if you’re waking up in the morning and you’re struggling then you know that’s the time to retire, however difficult it may be."
May started his professional career with Newcastle in 1999 and went on to play for Northampton and Toulon before joining the Exiles.
At Newcastle he won the Tetley's Bitter Cup and the Powergen Cup, while he captained London Welsh as they won promotion from the Championship last season.
“Most people would point to international caps as being the highlight of a player’s career and indeed they were," he added.
"I didn’t get capped till I was 30 and I’d worked very hard for 11 or 12 years to get there, but winning something with your mates, who you work with day in, day out, is something truly special and I’ve managed to do that three times.
"Those moments are ultimately what you do it all for."
May will pursue business interests as well as media work and player management, with England internationals Luther Burrell and Lee Dickson among the players he represents.
“I’d like to be remembered as someone who worked very hard and gave all he had," he added.
"I wasn’t one of those guys with an abundance of skill or was unbelievably rapid, I’ve just worked really hard and that’s something I can be proud of looking back, that I gave it as good a shot as I could."
