1 year ago
31
Josh Navidi made 184 appearances for Cardiff pursuing his debut successful 2009.Cardiff and Wales backmost enactment Josh Navidi has been forced to discontinue due to the fact that of a "serious cervix injury".
The versatile guardant has made 33 Wales appearances and was an uncapped British and Irish Lions tourer to South Africa successful 2021.
Navidi, 32, made his Cardiff debut successful 2009 and became a fans' favourite.
"It is with large sadness but besides an immense magnitude of pridefulness that I americium announcing my status from rugby," said Navidi.
"Although I knew this time would travel eventually, I don't deliberation I was ever truly capable to hole myself for however hard it would beryllium to enactment into words conscionable however overmuch of an interaction the crippled has had connected my life.
"I americium enormously grateful to everyone astatine Cardiff Rugby. I started my vocation with the nine successful 2009, and implicit those 14 years, determination person been truthful galore memories made that volition enactment with maine for the remainder of my life."
During 14 years of top-flight rugby, Navidi tasted European Challenge Cup occurrence with Cardiff, helped Wales triumph a Grand Slam among 3 Six Nations titles and played his portion arsenic Wales made the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
In a connection Cardiff said: "Josh Navidi volition discontinue from rugby with contiguous effect aft failing to successfully retrieve from a superior cervix injury."
Navidi won his archetypal Wales headdress successful Japan successful 2013 portion his Cardiff backmost enactment workfellow Sam Warburton was starring the Lions connected circuit successful Australia.
The erstwhile Wales Under-20s skipper was arsenic effectual crossed each 3 backmost enactment positions, making him a utile subordinate of Wales, Lions and Cardiff squads.
But helium underwent surgery aft struggling for fittingness aboriginal connected successful 2022-23. and hopes helium would instrumentality by the extremity of the play person been dashed.
Cardiff brag Dai Young paid tribute, saying: "Josh tin beryllium enormously arrogant of his vocation and everything helium has contributed whether successful a bluish and achromatic oregon reddish jersey.
"He has been 1 of the champion back-row forwards successful the satellite implicit the past fig of years and portion his playing clip for Cardiff has been constricted successful caller years, what helium has contributed implicit much than a decennary is huge.
"He was 1 of the club's champion and astir accordant performers play aft play and to marque 184 archetypal squad appearances and triumph 33 caps successful specified an abrasive presumption is nary mean feat.
"Everyone astatine Cardiff sends Josh our precise champion wishes for the aboriginal and look guardant to seeing him arsenic a protagonist successful the future."
English (US)