Gloucester prop Christian Califano is to retire from rugby at the end of the season.
Former France international to hang up his boots
Gloucester prop Christian Califano is to retire from rugby at the end of the season.
The former France international joined Gloucester on a two-year contract in 2006 and signed a one-year extension last year.
However, he had decided to call it quits at the end of the current Guinness Premiership campaign.
"Honestly, it's my last year," he told L'Equipe.
"I have had the fortune to play for three great clubs in my career, Toulouse, Auckland and Gloucester.
"I will close the door in the best possible spirit and with nothing but happiness and good memories filling my head."
Califano won 72 caps for France - making him the most-capped French prop of all-time along with Sylvain Marconnet.
Glittering career
One of the giants of the scrum, he played his first and last internationals against the All Blacks over a 13-year period.
The 35-year-old enjoyed a glittering career since starting out at Bourges in 1991 - counting six French titles and one European Cup at Toulouse as well as two Grand Slams among his illustrious haul.
Califano also holds the record of being the first frontrower to score three tries in a match - against Romania in 1996 - and the first French player to feature in the Super 14 championship with Auckland.
The lowest point in his career came in the 1999 World Cup when he was banned for seven weeks for headbutting an opponent in a group match against Fiji.
