France prop Pieter de Villiers has been forced to quit the game after failing to fully recover from a serious back injury.
Back injury takes its toll on France international
France prop Pieter de Villiers has been forced to quit the game after failing to fully recover from a serious back injury.
The South African-born 35-year-old won the last of his 69 caps at the 2007 World Cup, however he has been out of the picture since injuring his back in December.
De Villiers, who has won five league titles during 13 years at Stade Francais, has attempted to return to action however he has had no choice but to hang up his boots.
"I'm officially stopping playing rugby," de Villiers told the club's official site.
Difficult
"It's something that I have thought hard about and for me it's the right decision.
"Since the back injury, which I have had since the end of December, I tried to come back but I don't want to play just for the sake of playing.
"It might be difficult for people to accept as the season is just about to come to an end but there isn't an on-off switch for the human body or mentality.
"It's been 30 years of good times with this sport and I have great memories.
"But when I fell to the pitch and felt the pain in my back I had to start thinking about my wife and children; it was time to start thinking about taking a step back."
