Ben Youngs set for last dance in England’s Rugby World Cup bronze medal match

England scrum-half Ben Youngs has announced that Friday’s third-place play-off against Argentina will be his last in a white shirt.

The 34-year-old is the most capped male Red Rose player, having made 126 appearances for the national team since his debut in 2010.

This weekend’s Rugby World Cup clash with Los Pumas will, therefore, be his 127th – and final – match for the Red Rose.

Continuing in club rugby

Youngs will not stop completely, however, and will continue turning out for Leicester Tigers in the Premiership.

“I feel incredibly proud to have done it for this long,” he told BBC Rugby Union Daily.

“It has taken a huge amount of effort to do it for 13 years. It’s just fitting, and it feels right, and I feel so privileged to be able to play and walk away on my terms.

“You see some players have it finished for them. I’m ready to do it. I have always had this focus of getting to this World Cup and I never felt that after this World Cup, I would need to carry on.

“I look forward to playing club rugby and supporting this team from a distance, but it’s been a great ride.”

Youngs joins Courtney Lawes in announcing that he will retire from international rugby after the World Cup.

The 34-year-old made his debut against Scotland in 2010 before displaying his immense talent on a tour to Australia later that year.

He would become a crucial part of the squad for well over a decade and featured in four World Cup campaigns. However, this is the first time the Leicester man has not been England’s first-choice scrum-half at a global tournament.

Alex Mitchell has been the preferred starter under Steve Borthwick, with Danny Care providing the experience on the bench.

Cap record

Youngs has achieved plenty in his career and became England’s most-capped male player in February 2022, surpassing Jason Leonard’s 114 against Wales.

“World Cups are so long away, and four years is a long old time when it comes to form, injuries and different ways of playing,” the scrum-half added.

“After the 2019 final, I wanted to get to 100 caps. I was on 99 for a while and had to wait.

“Then suddenly [Jason] Leonard’s record came into sight, and so I had these little milestones between 2019 and 2023, which definitely helped. If I didn’t have them in between, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to do it.

“It takes a lot, and you are competing every week to play. It’s also the time away from the family. I’m so content; I’m finishing on Friday. It’s a great feeling, and hopefully there will be one more high, then I can walk away with Courtney [Lawes].”

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