Bernard Le Roux will no longer play rugby. This was the outcome awaited for months. The player of South African origin had been resting since September 2022 after yet another concussion during a Top 14 match against Lyon. The symptoms had not all disappeared and his return with crampons on his feet seemed more and more hypothetical.
Bernard Le Roux therefore played his last match with Racing 92 on September 17, 2022 during a victory at Paris La Défense Arena against Lyon (32-19) and his final meeting with the Blues on March 26, 2021 during a defeat against Scotland (23-27) at the Stade de France at the end of the Six Nations Tournament.
Even if the person concerned had initially denied the information published in Le Parisien on March 18, 2023 which announced this outcome, everyone feared such a scenario. This Wednesday, Le Roux finally made it official on his Instagram account with a long message.
“All good things must come to an end,” he wrote. I am truly grateful for the last 15 years. Rugby has given me more than I could have ever imagined. I especially thank my family for their support throughout the years, for everything they sacrificed so that I could live my dream. I cannot thank you enough. To the coaches, staff and medical teams I have had the privilege to work with. Thank you for your countless contributions to my career. »
And he concludes by addressing Racing and the XV of France: “I couldn’t be more proud to have worn these two jerseys. It was a huge privilege and a great honor.”
The second row with an imposing size (1.96 m; 113 kg), known for his destructive tackles, worked during his youth spent on the family farm in South Africa running after the sheep, joined France in 2009, recruited by Pierre Berbizier, then manager of Racing. His demolition on the wing of the third line quickly caught the eye of the Blues coach, Philippe Saint-André, who allowed him to win his first selection with the XV of France during a test in New Zealand in Christchurch, June 15, 2013 (30-0 defeat).
Since his last concussion, Le Roux had hoped for months to play a new high-level match. In vain.
