Former Cardiff Blues and Wales wing Chris Czekaj has decided to hang up his boots at the age of 34.
He played for Merthyr in the Indigo Group Premiership last season after heading home to Wales after playing for Colomiers in France and Bedford Blues in England.
He won nine caps for Wales on the wing and marked his debut against Canada in 2005 with a 60 metre solo try while still a teenager. A badly broken leg in Australia interrupted his career in 2007, but he recovered to make three more Wales appearances.
“After 15 years as a player, it’s time to end my professional career. I am hugely thankful for the game and what it has given me, and I feel extremely privileged,” he announced on social media.
“Scoring on my debut is the fondest memory of my career. However, the proudest moment was four years later.
“After being told I may never play again through injury, I returned to international rugby in 2009 versus Canada, scoring on the same field, in the same corner as 2005.”
A product of the Llandaff RFC junior section, he played for Cardiff Schools and East Wales at U11 and progressed from there. The 6′ 3″, near 16 stone wing scored five tries in the U21 Six Nations campaign and went on to score 13 tries in 18 games for Cardiff RFC before graduating to play for the Cardiff Blues.
He toured with Wales to Argentina in 2006, made his Six Nations debut against Ireland in 2007, but missed the Rugby World Cup that year after breaking his leg in Australia.
He made 143 appearances for Cardiff Blues between 2005 and 2014, including starting in the 2010 European Challenge Cup final win over Toulon in Marseille. After leaving the Arms Park, he spent three seasons with Colomiers in the French second tier and two years at Bedford in the English Championship.
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Source: Welsh Rugby