Bulls and former Bok captain Adriaan Strauss retiring from all forms of the rugby

Bulls and former Springboks captain Adriaan Strauss is retiring from all forms of rugby at the end of the current Super Rugby campaign.

The 32-year-old hooker‚ who retired from Test rugby last year‚ is bringing to an end a sterling 14-year career at the highest level of the game.

“It hasn’t been an easy decision‚ but one that I have been thinking about for a while now‚” he said in a statement released by the Blue Bulls Company on Tuesday afternoon.

“I have been blessed to play the game I love‚ with and against some amazing people‚ all while building some great friendships.

"The Bulls have always backed me and given me the opportunity to prove myself‚ and for this I am eternally grateful.

"It is‚ however‚ time for me to enter into the next phase of my life and focus on a few new ventures and off course enjoy being a supporter while I am at it.”

He started his professional career within the Bulls junior system in 2004 and went on to make his Super Rugby debut in 2006 where he featured in eight matches before moving to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

He went on to represent the Cheetahs in 97 Super Rugby matches but later returned to Pretoria where he played for another 51 Super Rugby matches that have made him the most capped South African player in the competition with 156 caps to date.

Strauss captained the Bulls in 2016 and 2017 and was also appointed as the Springbok captain in 2016 where he became the 56th leader of the senior national team. Blue Bulls Company High Performance Manager Xander Janse van Rensburg wished Strauss well.

“Adriaan is no doubt a legend of Loftus and rugby in this country in general and he will be remembered for his never-say-die attitude‚" he said.

"You don’t get to 156 caps unless you are made of something really special.

"One behalf of the entire Bulls family‚ I would like to wish him everything of the best with what lies ahead.”

The Blue Bulls Company also confirmed that flanker Shaun Adendorf and flyhalf Francois Brummer will also be released at the end of June to further their careers abroad.