Bok legend Bryan Habana announces retirement

Bryan Habana, the World Cup-winning winger for South Africa, announced his retirement from the game on Tuesday, saying he wished his career had 'ended differently'.

Toulon's Habana, who won the World Cup with the Springboks in 2007 and is the joint-highest try-scorer in the tournament overall, announced his retirement via his Instagram account.

The 2007 IRB Player of the Year, who has been out with a knee injury for much of the past year, wrote: "The inevitable moment has come knocking on my door and I've welcomed it in for a drink.

"It's been more than a year of hoping, trying, pushing and willing to get back on the field for one last time, to taste the sweet victory or encounter that gut-wrenching despair.

"To hear the roar of the crowd or grab the pill out of the air. To make that last bone crunching tackle or score that last game winning try.

"But it's unfortunately just not to be. I, like most, would have liked my career to have ended differently, but sometimes things don't turn out quite the way we hope for."

So it's my turn to say Thank You: . The inevitable moment has come knocking on my door and I've welcomed it in for a drink. . It's been more than a year of hoping, trying, pushing and willing to get back on the field for one last time, to taste the sweet victory or encounter that gut-wrenching despair. To hear the roar of the crowd or grab the pill out of the air. To make that last bone crunching tackle or score that last game winning try. But it's unfortunately just not to be. I, like most, would have liked my career to have ended differently, but sometimes things don't turn out quite the way we hope for. . So at the end of this season, it's time to say goodbye and thank you to the game I so dearly love. . To try and sum up the past 16 years and how quickly they've flown by or even begin to describe how amazing the journey has been is impossible. . I would though like to express my gratitude: . • First and foremost, to God for blessing me with the talent to play this beautiful game. • To my wife Janine, Timothy and our newborn Gabriel, for your support, sacrifice and love to follow me to all corners of the earth so that I can pursue my dreams. • To my family and friends, far and wide, who wore their hearts on their sleeves as much as I did. • To the coaches, team-mates, medical and support staff in all the teams I was involved in. • To every opponent that made the battle tough and worthwhile. • To all my sponsors over the years who believed in me enough to support me on the journey. • To the fans, who make the game what it is. • To the critics, not to prove you wrong but so that I could prove to myself I could. • To the media, who take the game to households the world over. • To the lessons learnt, through the good times and the bad. • To the friendships made and experiences a plenty. . But most of all to Rugby, because for me it truly is a game made in heaven. . As a close friend one said: "memories are all we have." And I'm immensely grateful for the memories I take with me into the next chapter. . With much respect . BH11

A post shared by Bryan Habana (@bryanhabana_) on Apr 24, 2018 at 4:00am PDT

Habana last played for South Africa in late 2016, when Allister Coetzee was still coach, but in February the former Lions, Bulls, and Stormers player hinted that he did not anticipate a return to the green and gold.

"On a personal level it's been a great run and, of course, the life of Bryan Habana is not going to stop after rugby," he told Sport24 at the time.

He ends his international career with 124 caps for the Boks, including at the 2007, 2011, and 2015 World Cups, and is the second-highest try-scorer in international rugby, with 67 tries.