Mike Brown announces retirement and calls for unity in rugby leadership
Mike Brown has announced his retirement at the end of the season with a call to rugby's leaders to set aside self-interest in order to grow the game.
The 39-year-old, who made 72 appearances for England from 2007 to 2018, is to hang up his boots upon completion of the Tigers' Gallagher Premiership title pursuit next month.
He will do so having made 280 league appearances, the fourth highest in the competition's history, and having played in over 530 games in total during a 20-year professional career.
Brown, nicknamed 'Mr Angry' because of his combative style and willingness to speak his mind, wants the sport's authorities to safeguard its future by being 'unselfish'.
🗞️
Mike Brown will retire at the end of the 24/25 season, bringing down the curtain on an incredible, 20-year career at the top of the game.
See what he has to say about the decision 👉 https://t.co/JVcc2nz2ww pic.twitter.com/QDtUcQd2eD
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) May 20, 2025
'Club owners, league executives, national and international governing body senior leadership – my hope is that you come together, think beyond the short term and make the bold, unselfish decisions needed to allow rugby to thrive once again,' the full-back said.
'We have a responsibility to protect and grow this incredible game so future generations can experience everything it has to offer – just as I have.'
Brown's demand to do what is best for the game also extends beyond its administrators.
'Media figures, pundits, former players, commentators – I urge you to continue helping shift the negative narrative around rugby,' he continued in an open letter published on Leicester's website.
A true legend of the league says farewell 🤝
Mike Brown will hang up his boots at the end of this season 🥺 #GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/qI95bhzv81
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) May 20, 2025
'Let's talk more about the brilliant action, the big hits, the electric tries, the unbelievable skill, the fierce rivalries and the amazing characters who make our game special.
'Rugby is full of passion, drama, and world-class athletes giving their all. By celebrating what makes our sport great, we can inspire the next generation, bring more fans through the gates, grow the game and remind everyone why we fell in love with it in the first place.'
Brown spent 16 years at Harlequins where he won the Premiership title twice, with Newcastle and Leicester his only other clubs. He joins fellow veterans Danny Care, Ben Youngs and Joe Marler in choosing to retire this season.
'After a great deal of reflection, the time feels right to step away from professional rugby and officially retire from the game that has shaped my life in so many ways,' he said.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by England Rugby (@englandrugby)
'To the fans – your support and your energy has meant everything. Whether I was a player you liked or not, I hope you always saw the passion, commitment, and pride I felt in representing your club and our country. I never took that privilege for granted.
'Rugby has given me more than I could ever have imagined, but now it's time for a new chapter.
'I'm excited for what's ahead: continuing to work in high-performing environments, building great teams, pushing boundaries, and helping others grow.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
The likely first Lions team for the opening match next week as 16 players missing
The likely first Lions team for the opening match next week as 16 players missing The Lions travel to Portugal this week for a training camp with 16 players missing Tomos Williams signs jerseys after joining up with the British and Irish Lions squad (Image: British and Irish Lions/Inpho ) The British and Irish Lions ramp up their preparations this week as they head to Portugal for a warm-weather training camp, but nearly half of Andy Farrell's squad are still preoccupied with the end of the club season. While Jac Morgan, Tomos Williams and a number of other Lions will be hitting tackle bags in Quinta do Lago, 16 of the 38-man squad will spend this week preparing for the finals of the BKT United Rugby Championship and Gallagher Premiership. There's a dozen still with Leinster. Ronan Kelleher, Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Garry Ringrose, Hugo Keenan and James Lowe will all join up with the Lions next week, although the likes of Furlong, van der Flier, Ringrose and Keenan are all carrying knocks. Bath duo Will Stuart and Finn Russell will be going up against Leicester's Ollie Chessum in the Gallagher Premiership final. And then there's also Scotland full-back Blair Kinghorn, set to join the tour late after Toulouse's Top 14 title bid - but also injured. Ahead of flying to Portugal on Tuesday, the Lions have already lost one player to injury. Article continues below Scotland and Glasgow prop Zander Fagerson has been ruled out of a second tour, with Ireland tighthead Finlay Bealham called up in his place amid growing concern over the position. Furlong hasn't played since the start of May in Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton, with the prop - who has started the last six Lions Tests - struggling with a calf injury. England prop Stuart will now be the strong favourite to start against the Wallabies, while his compatriot Asher Opoku-Fordjour travelling to Portugal as cover. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. The same goes for England hooker Jamie George, who narrowly missed out on the squad but will cover Ireland duo Sheehan and Kelleher in Portugal. In terms of the team to face Argentina in Dublin on June 20, Farrell's first selection could well be decided by availability and injuries. Unless he wants a look at Marcus Smith in the position, Elliot Daly seems the likely bet at full-back. England's Tommy Freeman should start on one wing, but the other is dependent on injuries. Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe has been out injured since March, while Ireland's Mack Hansen has been sidelined since April. The latter was expected back around the middle of June, while van der Merwe was said to be ready for selection had Edinburgh reached the URC semi-final. Given the injuries, don't rule out James Lowe being involved six days after the URC final against the Bulls. In midfield, Farrell has Scotland duo Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones at his disposal, as well as Bundee Aki. Pairing Tuipulotu and Aki together could be tempting, although sticking with an established partnership makes sense in the first game of the tour. The same goes for the half-backs. With no Gibson-Park or Russell - seen as the likely first-choices at scrum-half and fly-half - leaning on Northampton and England duo Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith seems the obvious choice. Wales' Tomos Williams, having been crowned Premiership player of the season, will be pushing for a start - although an off-the-bench partnership with Marcus Smith could make for exciting viewing. In the pack, Ellis Genge and Pierre Schoeman are both available in Portugal so should share the load against Argentina. With Luke Cowan-Dickie the only hooker from the original squad at this week's training camp, he should start. The question is whether Farrell uses George on the bench or brings back one of the Leinster hookers to occupy that role. On the tighthead, new call-up Bealham should start. Again, it's whether Farrell gives Opoku-Fordjour a bench spot or welcomes back Stuart following Bath's final. You'd expect previous tourists Maro Itoje and Tadhg Beirne to start, especially as the former is the tour captain. Scotland lock Scott Cummings means there's little need to rush back Leinster second-rows McCarthy or Ryan. In the back-row, Conan and van der Flier's involvement with Leinster means all of Jac Morgan, Tom Curry, Ben Earl and Henry Pollock should get minutes against Argentina. Wales captain Morgan should start, with it likely a toss-up between Earl and Pollock for the No. 8 jersey. Possible Lions team v Argentina: Elliot Daly; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Finlay Bealham, Maro Itoje (c), Tadhg Beirne, Jac Morgan, Tom Curry, Ben Earl. Article continues below Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Pierre Schoeman, Will Stuart, Scott Cummings, Henry Pollock, Tomos Williams, Marcus Smith, Bundee Aki.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Romeo Beckham moves on from ex-girlfriend Kim already after sparking family rift
Romeo Beckham has been papped with German model Caroline Daur in Paris just weeks after calling it quits with 'his world', DJ and model, Kim Turnbull Romeo Beckham appears to have moved on from his ex, Kim Turnbull, already after being spotted with a blonde model in Paris. The second eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, 22, has found himself surrounded by rumours of a family feud after his older brother Brooklyn, 26, swerved the siblings' dad's 50th birthday. Brooklyn was reportedly 'uneasy' about Romeo dating Kim, who was once close friends with the hot sauce enthusiast, and felt his parents were 'favouring' his younger brother, who was seen beaming in snaps from David's birthday. Amid the fallout, Romeo and Kim called it quits two weeks ago and now it looks like it's all-change again after the latest snaps from the French capital. Sporting a shaved head, wearing a black Champion sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms, Romeo can be seen in the car with German model, Caroline, 30, leaving a bash at the swanky, Hotel Costes. Romeo jumped into a taxi with the influencer - who was rocking a strapless minidress and who has 5m followers on Instagram - and other pals after enjoying an evening together, before hot-footing it to Julia nightclub, where they stayed until the early hours. The pair sparked romance rumours as they went to great lengths not be snapped together as they left the venue separately. However, they then headed off in the same car alongside others, reports the Mail. It is said that Romeo and Caroline bonded over their love of Tennis, with both attending the Men's Singles Semi Final at the French Open on Friday. The Mirror has contacted Romeo's representative for comment. Pals say that things remain 'amicable' between Romeo and ex Kim, and insist that their split has nothing to do with the bitter Beckham feud, which is said to have been sparked by their relationship. Brooklyn is said to have felt Kim's reasons for dating his brother were 'disingenuous' amid rumours he used to date the DJ. However, in a now deleted Instagram post Cruz Beckham denied Brooklyn was ever in a relationship with Kim. Speaking to the Mail about Romeo's split with the DJ, who the model once referred to his as his " world", a source said: "Romeo and Kim are both young and they had a lovely time together but at that age things don't always last forever and they decided to split up. "They have been friendly since and have even been at the same venues. It's a huge shame, particularly as David and Victoria really adored her and thought she made Romeo happy but it wasn't to be. "David and Victoria would hate for the view to be that they split because of Nicola and Brooklyn because that simply isn't the case." Victoria's approval of Kim is a stark contrast to how the artist formerly known as Posh Spice views her eldest son's wife, billionaire heiress Nicola. Victoria and David are said to be 'done' with their daughter-in-law, who has been accused of 'controlling' Brooklyn. However, Nicola's camp said she previously tried to encourage her husband to see his family, insisting 'she just wants the best for him'.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
15-year-old wonderkid snubs Chelsea transfer to stay at relegated club
One of English football's most promising young talents has turned down the chance to sign for Chelsea and Manchester City. Jeremy Monga made headlines in March when he became the second-youngest player in Premier League history, aged just 15 years and 271 days. Only Arsenal superstar Ethan Nwaneri (15 years and 181 days) was younger when he made his top-flight debut. The Leicester youngster went onto make seven Premier League appearances before the end of the season but was powerless to prevent the Foxes' relegation. Unsurprisingly, transfer interest in Monga has been huge with Chelsea and Man City among the Premier League clubs keen on signing him. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Several European giants including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich were also keen on the winger who has already captained England's U16 side. But it was announced on Monday that the teenager had snubbed all of them and would be staying at Leicester alongside eight other academy stars who had agreed new deals. 'Jeremy Monga has committed to commencing his professional career as a Leicester City player, with an agreement now in place to secure the talented teenager's future at King Power Stadium,' the club said. 'Jeremy will begin his Academy scholarship this summer with his first professional contract scheduled to commence in summer 2026.' More Trending Had Monga, who joined Leicester's Academy aged nine, left for another English club, the Foxes would only have received a small compensation fee. Speaking after his historic debut against Newcastle, Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy was full of praise for Monga, saying: 'At such a young age and being the second youngest ever in the Premier League, it says something about how early he has developed. 'He has the physical capability also and the mental capability to handle this. But we have his pathway ready for him and we're going to guide him through that. 'But you could see the way he trained this week, after he made his debut, it's already lifted him and showed an even higher level, so it's going quickly really with him. 'You have to look after these players, mentally and physically. You can't go too quick too soon. But within reason, we have to make the most of it and use him as much as we can.' While a blow for the likes of Chelsea and Man City, they will no doubt be keeping tabs on the wonderkid as he continues to develop in the Championship next season. There was some good transfer news for the Blues on Monday however, as they confirmed the signing of Mamadou Sarr from Strasbourg, the Ligue 1 club also owned by Todd Boehly. The 19-year-old defender joins in a deal worth £12million and has signed a contract until 2033. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Massimiliano Allegri makes last-ditch attempt to block Chelsea from signing transfer target MORE: Man Utd reject approach for £36.5m star but sanction major transfer exit MORE: Gary Lineker surprised Arsenal did not rival Chelsea and Man Utd for 'exciting' striker
