Dan Cole follows Ben Youngs, Danny Care, Mike Brown and Alex Goode into retirement as rugby union bids farewell to England legends
Published 27/05/2025 at 16:41 GMT+1
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English rugby is entering a new era, with a whole host of household names calling it a day at the end of the current season. Although the likes of Dan Cole, Danny Care and Ben Youngs have already stopped playing international rugby, their presence has still been felt at club level. However, that will soon stop as some of the game's biggest names prepare to say goodbye.
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England’s second-highest capped men’s rugby union player, Dan Cole, has become the latest in a string of players to announce their retirement from the sport.
After 118 Test appearances for his country - nine behind record-holder Ben Youngs - and 340 matches for his boyhood club Leicester, the 38-year-old is walking away because it became "harder to carry on".
He follows Youngs, Danny Care, Mike Brown and Alex Goode out of the sport.
All of them will hang up their boots and throw out their mouthguards at the end of the current season.
We took a look at the legacy these England legends will leave behind...
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‘Everybody gets off their seats’ – Care enters pitch for final Harlequins appearance
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Ben Youngs
England caps: 127
When it comes to writing yourself into the history books, it does not get much better than playing for your country more times than anyone else.
As well as performing admirably for England for 13 years and collecting four Six Nations titles, scrum-half Youngs also excelled as a one-club man with Leicester Tigers, with whom he won five Gallagher Premiership titles.
The 35-year-old, who was also part of the successful British and Irish Lions Tour of Australia in 2013, said: "I have been lucky to be a part of some incredible moments along the way, enjoyed so much success and made memories that will last a lifetime."
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Ben Youngs
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Dan Cole
England caps: 118
Influenced by Youngs' decision to step away from the sport, Cole said: "I don’t want to be the old guy, just sat around and hanging on to something for too long."
He retires as a legend after coming through Leicester’s academy and going on to play 340 times for the club and ending his career as England’s second-most capped men’s player of all time.
Speaking about his decision to retire, the 38-year-old added: "As you get older, physically it's definitely harder to carry on and, looking around the changing room, I am 10 years older than most of the guys in there with me and that's challenging as well."
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Dan Cole
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Danny Care
England caps: 101
Harlequins’ record appearance-maker said an emotional goodbye to the Stoop as he represented the club for the 394th and final time in their 24-22 Premiership win against Exeter.
The scrum-half won three Six Nations titles with England and also featured in two Rugby World Cups, including the 2023 tournament where they reached the semi-finals of the competition.
Trying to sum up his career, the 38-year-old said: "It's been fun, it's been amazing, it's been a rollercoaster. It's been brilliant, it's been awful, it's been everything. But it's the right time for me and I'm at peace with it."
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Danny Care
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Mike Brown
England caps: 72
With a plethora of honours, full-back Mike Brown brought the curtain down on a 20-year career.
As well as playing for Leicester Tigers and Newcastle Falcons, he spent the majority of his time at Harlequins, where he became a two-time Premiership champion and European Challenge Cup winner.
On the international stage, Brown was England’s Man of the Series in the 2013 Autumn Internationals and won the Six Nations Player of the Championship award the next year, despite the team just falling short of winning the title. He will celebrate his 40th birthday in September.
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Mike Brown
Image credit: Getty Images
Alex Goode
England caps: 21
Saracens’ record appearance-holder surpassed the milestone of 400 matches for his club just before hanging up his boots at the age of 37.
As well as helping the club to six Premiership titles during his 17-year stint, Goode also tasted multiple European successes, having won the European Champions Cup in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Goode was a part of England’s Rugby World Cup squad in 2015.
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Alex Goode
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