England World Cup winner and Saracens flanker Vicky Fleetwood has retired.
The 33-year-old, who made her England debut in 2011, won the World Cup in 2014 and ends her career with 82 caps.
She also featured at the 2017 World Cup, but missed out on a place at last year’s tournament and a knee injury has kept her out of action since October.
“Rugby has given me so much to be thankful for and will forever hold a place in my heart,” Fleetwood said.
“I can proudly say I put everything into playing for both my club and country – the blood, the sweat, the tears, the change of position from 15s to sevens and back again.
“It may not be the fairytale ending that everyone dreams of, but when you’re not getting out of it what you put in, the sacrifices become harder to make and the enjoyment lessens.”
Fleetwood joined the England sevens programme for a year in 2017/18 before returning to union in 2019.
A talented junior hurdler before taking up rugby, she is set to move into coaching.
