Danny Care announces retirement
Danny Care has announced his retirement from rugby, bringing an end to an illustrious career that has seen him win Premiership, European and International titles.
Harlequins’ record appearance holder also won 101 Test caps, having earned his first cap in 2008 and achieved his century in the 23-22 win over Ireland at Allianz Stadium during the 2024 Guinness Men’s Six Nations.
Aged 12, Care was signed to the Sheffield Wednesday Academy alongside Jamie Vardy. A new manager overlooked him for a game and he went on a lads and dads rugby tour to Dublin with Otley. That “ignited something in me. The camaraderie, the teamwork. It was 2003, I watched England win the Rugby World Cup and thought: ‘That would be cool!’”
Playing for England Under 16s, Stuart Lancaster became “fundamental to my development. He’d come out with a bucket, throw soapy water on the balls. He said it would help me, especially in a Yorkshire winter. And it did. The turning point was when my school made it to a schools cup final. Our little school winning the final was amazing. I was 17, it was my first time at Twickenham and I thought: ‘I’d love to play here one day in an England shirt.’”
He joined Harlequins from Leeds Tykes in 2006 and, two years later, the 21-year-old Care made his first appearance for England in the first Test of the summer tour to New Zealand in a side captained by now-head coach Steve Borthwick.
Coming off the bench to replace Richard Wigglesworth, he had an instant impact when his cross-field kick set up Topsy Ojo to score in a 37-20 defeat. Care was rewarded with a start in the second Test and crossed the whitewash for his first international try. With England threatening the All Blacks’ line, they won a penalty and the quick-thinking Care tapped and went on an arching run to score in a move that would go on to serve him so well throughout his career.
Care's century
His first Six Nations, in 2009, saw him as replacement for Harry Ellis against Ireland, France and Scotland - when he came on after 16 minutes - his late drop-goal in that match helping England win back the Calcutta Cup.
In 2011, England won the Six Nations for the first time since the World Cup winning team of 2003 and Care scored just three minutes after coming on against Italy. Against Scotland, he came on at 55 minutes with the scores tied at 9-9 and helped England win 22-16.
That year, he also helped Harlequins to the Challenge Cup title, before following that up with a first Premiership title in 2012.
Six Nations successes continued and in 2014 against Scotland he slotted a drop-goal helping England win 20-0. Against Ireland he linked with Quins teammate Mike Brown who offloaded for Danny to steam in to help England reclaim the lead. Then against Wales another quick tap-and-go saw him untouched as his try helped England clinch the Triple Crown.
Two years later, in the 2016 Six Nations, Care featured in every game as England won their first Grand Slam in 13 years.
Having started the opening day win against Scotland, Care epitomised the Eddie Jones era’s ‘finishers’ when he replaced Ben Youngs against Italy with England just two points ahead. As England began to pull away, his deft grubber inside the Italian 22 set up Jonathan Joseph’s second try and showed Care’s ability to vary his gameplay.
His trademark eye for a gap shone through in the final game against France in Paris when he darted through a gaping hole and ran 45 metres to score the opening try ahead of a 31-21 win.
“Eddie Jones picked me to start away to Scotland. Ben Youngs came in for the next three, but Eddie chose me for the Paris Grand Slam decider. Before the game he said: ‘Watch out for their lazy guard on the blindside.’ In the 12th minute, there’s the ball off the top of a lineout, someone crashes it up. I looked at the blind side of the ruck and there was a lazy guard there, one of their props.
"I picked, he came up too high, I fended him off, ran through. There was no one to stop me in the biggest game of my career! I could just enjoy that moment. If I could live it again, I’d love to, with mum, dad and my wife in the crowd, it was one of the best moments of my life.”
He added a second Premiership title as Harlequins mounted a remarkable turnaround to win the 2020/21 season. Care himself was at the heart of the upturn in results, scoring nine tries in the second half of the season to propel his club to the play-offs and the title.
In 2023, aged 36, he played in six of England’s seven Rugby World Cup games as they reached the semi-finals, only losing to eventual champions South Africa by one point. His 73rd minute try and try-saving tackle at the death saw England beat Samoa by one point in the pool stage. The tournament ended on a high for both Care and the England team when they won bronze by beating Argentina 26-23 in a tight contest.
In helping England to a third place finish in the 2024 Six Nations, Care also became the sixth England Men's player to surpass 100 matches.
