North to retire from rugby at season end

George North has confirmed he will retire from playing rugby at the end of the current season.

Speaking on social media Wales’ most-capped men’s back said: “I just wanted to let you know that at the end of the season I’ll be retiring. For me it’s the right time.

“I’ve been able to live out my childhood dream for many seasons, playing with some of the best players, coaches and the staff behind.

“Now I can’t thank my family, my friends and [the fans] enough for the support you’ve shown me over the years. Honestly, it’s meant the world to me.

“The next chapter, yeah, still working on that one but I’m excited to see where that journey takes me.

“So again, from the bottom of my heart thank you. Diolch”

In a professional career spanning 16 years, North represented Scarlets, Northampton Saints, Ospreys and Provence Rugby.

Born in England, North was raised in north Wales from the age of two and went to school on Anglesey, Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern. He played junior rugby at Llangefni, Pwllheli and Rhyl and helped a North Wales U16 XV beat the Scarlets. He then won a rugby scholarship to Llandovery College, where he was converted from second row to outside centre. He played for Wales U16 and U18 and went into the Scarlets Academy.

North made his professional debut for Scarlets against Benetton Treviso in September 2010 and scored twice. He left the Scarlets after starring with the British & Irish Lions in Australia, when he scored in the first and third Tests as the Lions won the series 2-1.

His move to Northampton Saints in 2013 saw him become an English Premiership winner at Twickenham in May 2014, when Saints beat Saracens. He returned to Wales on a National Dual Contract with the Ospreys at the start of the 2018/19 season.

North joined Pro D2 side Provence Rugby for the 2024/25 season and will finish his playing career there this summer.

Wales senior men’s international number 1078, North burst on to the international stage in 2010 as an 18-year-old when he scored twice against South Africa on his debut at the Millennium Stadium.

On that day, 13 November, he became the youngest player in almost 117 years to score a try on his debut for Wales – he was 18 years, 214 days, beating Tom Pearson, who was aged 18 years, 238 days when he scored against England in 1891.

He is the third youngest player to play for Wales behind his former Wales U18 teammate Tom Prydie and Norman Biggs.

In 14 years of international rugby, North represented Wales 120 times and is third on the all-time list of men’s most capped players behind Alun Wyn Jones (158) and Gethin Jenkins (129).

North is second on the list of all-time men’s try scorers for Wales with 47, behind Shane Williams (58).

His two tries against Nambia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup made him the youngest try scorer at the tournament – aged 19 years and 166 days – ahead of Australian Joe Roff. He won 20 caps for Wales as a teenager and became the first teenager in world rugby to score 10 Test tries. On 28 February, 2015, he became the youngest player to reach 50 international caps when Wales played France (Wales 47 caps, Lions 3). He reached 50 caps for Wales on 29 August, 2015, in the World Cup warm-up win over Ireland in Dublin.

He scored Wales’ first Six Nations try hat-trick against Italy in Rome in 2015 and set Welsh records of 473 metres gained, 12 clean breaks and 26 defenders beaten in the 2016 campaign when he was the tournament’s top try scorer with four.

North helped Wales win Grand Slams in 2012 and 2019 and the Six Nations title in 2013 and 2021. His two tries in the win over France in Paris in 2019 set-up the bid for the third clean-sweep of Warren Gatland’s reign.

British & Irish Lion number 792, North was selected on two tours – in 2013 to Australia and in 2017 to New Zealand. In all North scored four tries across seven appearances for the Lions – starting all three Tests for Warren Gatland’s side in 2013.

He is the youngest rugby player to win 100 international caps for his country, achieving this milestone at 28 years and 320 days old on February 27 2021, when playing for Wales against England.

In 2023, North was selected for his fourth Rugby World Cup when named in the Wales squad for the tournament in France. He scored tries against Fiji and Georgia to take his RWC overall try tally to six.