Top 14 - RCT : Bryan Habana va raccrocher les crampons en fin de saison

Deuxième meilleur marqueur de l'histoire du rugby sur la scène internationale (67 essais en... 124 sélections, excusez du peu), recordman d'essais inscrits en une Coupe du monde (8), et champion du monde en 2007, Bryan Habana ne jouera plus au rugby. Dans un post publié sur Instagram, l'ailier springbok a officialisé sa retraite à l'issue d'une saison blanche : touché au genou l'an passé contre Castres lors de la 24ème journée du Top 14, le Toulonnais n'a pas disputé le moindre match cette saison...

VIDÉO. Champions Cup - Bryan Habana nous offre le plus beau coup de pied de l'année face aux ScarletsVainqueur du Super Rugby à deux reprises avec les Bulls, Habana est arrivé dans le Var en 2013. Le temps pour lui de rafler deux coupes d'Europe et un bouclier de Brennus au sein de l'armada du RCT. Âgé de 34 ans, le meilleur joueur du monde en 2007 aura inscrit vingt-trois essais sous le maillot des Rouge et Noir.

VIDEO. INSOLITE : le youtubeur GonzagueTV piège Bryan Habana et Sergio Parisse en caméra cachée !Dans son post Instagram, Habana confie avoir longtemps essayé de revenir au plus haut niveau : 

J'aurais aimé que ma carrière finisse différemment, mais parfois, les choses ne tournent pas de la manière dont on voudrait.

So it’s my turn to say Thank You: . The inevitable moment has come knocking on my door and I’ve welcomed it in for a drink. . It’s been more than a year of hoping, trying, pushing and willing to get back on the field for one last time, to taste the sweet victory or encounter that gut-wrenching despair. To hear the roar of the crowd or grab the pill out of the air. To make that last bone crunching tackle or score that last game winning try. But it’s unfortunately just not to be. I, like most, would have liked my career to have ended differently, but sometimes things don’t turn out quite the way we hope for. . So at the end of this season, it’s time to say goodbye and thank you to the game I so dearly love. . To try and sum up the past 16 years and how quickly they’ve flown by or even begin to describe how amazing the journey has been is impossible. . I would though like to express my gratitude: . • First and foremost, to God for blessing me with the talent to play this beautiful game. • To my wife Janine, Timothy and our newborn Gabriel, for your support, sacrifice and love to follow me to all corners of the earth so that I can pursue my dreams. • To my family and friends, far and wide, who wore their hearts on their sleeves as much as I did. • To the coaches, team-mates, medical and support staff in all the teams I was involved in. • To every opponent that made the battle tough and worthwhile. • To all my sponsors over the years who believed in me enough to support me on the journey. • To the fans, who make the game what it is. • To the critics, not to prove you wrong but so that I could prove to myself I could. • To the media, who take the game to households the world over. • To the lessons learnt, through the good times and the bad. • To the friendships made and experiences a plenty. . But most of all to Rugby, because for me it truly is a game made in heaven. . As a close friend one said: “memories are all we have.” And I’m immensely grateful for the memories I take with me into the next chapter. . With much respect . BH11

Une publication partagée par Bryan Habana (@bryanhabana_) le 24 Avril 2018 à 4 :00 PDT