Nathan Hines, the affable enforcer for Scotland in the second row for 11 years and 77 caps, has announced his retirement from international rugby.
Universally known as ‘Wagga’ after his Australian birthplace, Hines’ final game for his adopted country was against England in the Rugby World Cup last month a heartbreaking loss which ended with the big man in tears.
Hines said: ”I wanted to finish my career on my terms and didn’t want to be the player that played one year too many. I will always want to play for Scotland even when I’m 50 I’ll still want to play but I guess it’s time to move on.
”This was the reason I was so emotional after the England game as I know how difficult it will be to give up.”
He added: ”I’ve always been passionate about playing for Scotland, always loved doing it. It’s something that requires 100% especially given what you put your family through.
”There have been heaps of memorable moments you always remember your first cap and there’ve been good results, beating South Africa a couple of times and beating Australia.
”But most of the stuff I’ll remember are things that have happened on a tour, or on a bus, or in a changing room.”
A British Lion in 2009 and a member of Leinster’s Heineken Cup-winning team this year, Hines added steel and a bit of dig to the Scottish pack as well as uncommon ball skills for a 6ft 8in lock but off the field there was no more popular figure in the squad over the last decade.
He only came to the land of his maternal grandmother in 1998 for a six-month sabbatical to play for Gala, with no aspirations towards international rugby. Within 18 months he was signed to pro rugby and making his Scotland debut as a replacement for close friend and long-time second-row partner Scott Murray on the 2000 tour to New Zealand.
But for injuries and a self-imposed break ‘retiring’ for a spell after disaffection with Matt Williams’ coaching regime before being tempted back by Frank Hadden Hines would probably have surpassed Murray’s all-time record of caps at second row.
He added: ”It’s not a decision I’ve taken lightly. My wife Leann and I want to have another kid and that will probably involve going through IVF again, and with the Six Nations coming up then a tour next summer that would be really difficult.”
He added: ”It’s also the end of a cycle. I played in this World Cup and I don’t think I’ll be around as a player come the next World Cup in 2015, especially when you consider we have perfectly capable second-rows to fill my position.”
Head coach Andy Robinson described Hines as ”a fantastic role model” for Scottish players.
He said: ”It has been a real pleasure to coach Nathan over the last two years, and he is one of Scotland’s toughest ever competitors.”
Attack coach Gregor Townsend also paid tribute, saying: ”What an effort he made to come back from serious injury early in his career and he went on to become one of the best ever players to pull on the Scotland jersey.”
Hines was also the first Scotland player ever to be sent off in a test, against the USA in 2002, but he was on the winning side against every other major playing nation with the exception of New Zealand.
As well as Gala, he played for Edinburgh, Perpignan and Leinster, and will continue to play for Clermont-Auvergne.
Photo David Davies/PA Archive