Chiefs and Bay of Plenty hooker Nathan Harris is retiring from rugby.
The 29-year-old former All Black on Friday announced he was finishing up in the sport after continued discomfort from an ankle injury.
“It has been a massive year and it is time to hang up the boots,” he said in a statement released by the Chiefs.
“After playing 10 years of footy, my ankle has had enough, and it is time to move onto something new.
“It has been a really hard decision, but at the end of the day, my body and my family come first.
“Next year I am looking at finishing my studies at the University of Waikato, moving into post grad, and finally achieving my ultimate goal since leaving school and becoming a physical education teacher.
“I am really looking forward to the next chapter of my life and will continue to support the teams from the sideline.”
Having been part of the 2012 New Zealand Under-20 side which finished runners-up at the Junior World Championship in South Africa, Harris debuted for Bay of Plenty later that year, going on to play 42 games for the Steamers, with his last being a fortnight back in the final-round NPC loss to Canterbury in Christchurch.
He played the first of his 58 games for the Chiefs in 2014, and made his maiden All Blacks appearance later that year, against Argentina in La Plata, before rupturing his ankle in his next outing in the black jersey five weeks later against the United States in Chicago, in what was to be his sole start in a 20-test career. The last of those came against Italy in Rome in 2018.
After fighting back from more injury troubles, Harris got back on the park for the Chiefs this year, having told Stuff it was only a burning desire to wear the silver fern once more which had kept him going.
Fracturing that same left ankle while playing an NPC game at Eden Park in 2019, it was then a rotator cuff shoulder injury which ruled out of the 2020 Super Rugby season.
Lingering trouble with the ankle meant two screws inserted, a hamstring graft and no NPC action, and Harris admitted there were some “pretty dark times” and retirement being weighed up.