Former England winger Tom Voyce tells Sky Sports he could quit the game after failing to find a new club.
Former England winger Tom Voyce has admitted he could be forced to quit the game after failing to find a new club for next season.
Despite being just 31, Voyce - who scored three tries in nine appearances for his country - has struggled to secure a new contract since being released by Gloucester.
A number of potential deals in France have failed to come to fruition, while there has been little interest in the talented winger in this country - with Voyce currently doing pre-season training on his own.
And with a number of clubs opting to put their faith in youth out wide, Voyce concedes he could now hang up his boots for good.
"I was hoping to find a club in the UK or France but it has been difficult and because of the current state of the market place my agent has been struggling.," Voyce told
Sky Sports.
"I'm now in limbo really as to whether I carry on or call it a day and find work away from rugby - and with pre-season starting it is looking more unlikely that I will find a club.
"It is frustrating as I have been lucky with injuries so my body is still in good shape and I feel I have got a good few years left in me yet.
Suspicion
"I just get a suspicion that the thought process of some clubs is that as I've turned 31 then I am past my best. Teams aren't looking for experience on the wing, they are looking instead at young lads coming in.
"It is about the budgets sides have as they can only afford so much in terms of experienced players and they don't want to use that on the wing.
"France is still a possibility but there has been a cut on foreign players."
It is in across the Channel that Voyce has come the closest to securing a contract for next season - however luck has just not been on his side.
"There was lots of initial interest from France but I have just been unlucky with how it has panned out," admitted the former Bath and Wasps winger.
"Brive were really keen but then they got relegated; Pau, who were expecting to go up, were interested but then they failed to win promotion; Grenoble had an option to choose either an international 15 or a hooker as they couldn't get both and they decided to sign a hooker; Toulon were sniffing around for a bit then decided against it; and the latest side was Bordeaux but that was two/three weeks ago and we've heard nothing since.
"It has been frustrating. There hasn't really been any interest in the UK. There has only really been two teams - Gloucester and London Irish - where a lot of players have left and that has been largely down to budgets."
Voyce, who has scored 66 tries in 217 Premiership appearances, had looked set to stay at Gloucester - however the departure of coach Bryan Redpath and a reduction in budget paved the way for his exit.
Voyce, who joined the Cherry and Whites from Wasps in 2009, said: "I knew back in January that Gloucester wanted to keep me but they said it would be at the end of the signing season because of budgets. However with everything around the Redpath situation I prepared myself not to be staying.
"I then knew at the start of June that I would have to start looking beyond rugby.
Gut-wrenching
"I've got my CV together and I will just see what happened. There's not a deadline for me to decide but if someone offers me a job then it something I would have to seriously look at. I think I've at least two years left in me at the top level but I have to be pragmatic.
"Luckily I don't have a family to support as well otherwise I would be worried as to how to cover all the bills and mortgage."
Voyce, who has been working with the RPA over life away from the game, admits quitting while he still believing he has a few years left would be a tough decision to make.
"I'm not a bitter person, I just don't like regret," he said. "If I was to finish rugby now it would be frustrating as I feel my talent and skills haven't diminished.
"The best platitudes you can receive come off your peers and they said they can't believe I haven't been snapped up by another club.
"It is a bitter-sweet situation as it is not my decision. You look at someone like David Flatman who has had their career snatched away by injury and it is gut-wrenching but it is also hard to take that it is over knowing you're fully fit."
