Former New Zealand captain Kieran Read retired from rugby after his team Toyota Verblitz's season ended following Saturday's semi-final loss to Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan's Top League. Read, a World Cup winner with the All Blacks in 2011 and 2015, announced his decision to retire before Saturday's game, which Verblitz lost 48-21. The 35-year-old retired from international rugby in 2019 after the World Cup where New Zealand finished third. He also won four Super Rugby Aotearoa titles with the Canterbury Crusaders. Domestically he stormed to four Super Rugby titles with Canterbury Crusaders, before joining Verblitz in late 2019 to act as co-captain for one final campaign.

Source: Daily Mail May 16, 2021 11:52 UTC