Scotland’s most-capped player, Ross Ford, has announced his retirement from rugby with immediate effect. The 35-year-old won a record 110 caps for his country after making his debut back in 2004, while he also represented the British & Irish Lions on their tour of South Africa in 2009.
The hooker had spent the last 12 years playing in the Pro14 for Edinburgh, while he also represented Glasgow Warriors and the Border Reivers earlier in his career. Ford now plans to take up a coaching role with the Fosroc Scottish Rugby academy and he is looking forward to taking the next step in his career, while also admitting he was fortunate to have such a prolonged spell as a player.
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“I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had a long career in the sport and have been able to represent my country at the highest level, playing in a lot of great places around the world,” Ford told Scottish Rugby. “I’ve met some characters along the way and overall just feel very lucky to have played a sport that I love and make a living in the process.”
Ford also confirmed that he never expected to become Scotland’s record-caps holder, but he believes it came hand-in-hand with playing consistently well at the top level. He added: “I never had any specific targets in mind, it [reaching 110 caps] just kind of crept up on me. I recognise it as a big achievement but it’s just something that came hand-in-hand with playing the sport.”
