The Ireland and Lions winger Tyrone Howe yesterday announced he will retire from rugby at the end of this season. His announcement comes two years since his last international appearance.
Capped 14 times for Ireland, the former pupil of Banbridge Academy made his debut for Ulster in the 1992-93 season against Munster. He then went to Oxford University, where he won a blue, playing twice in the annual Varsities match against Cambridge, in 1994 and 1995, captaining the side in his second appearance.
A chronic groin injury forced him out of the game for three years, during which he took up a teaching post in England.
It was while playing for the Division 3 side Newbury in 1998 that he was offered a professional contract by the then Ulster coach Harry Williams.
Howe won his first cap on the summer tour to the USA in 2000 and made his Six Nations debut the following February against Rome in Italy.
In the summer of 2001 he was called up to the Lions tour in Australia as a replacement for the injured Dan Luger. He won one Lions cap, starting the match against NSW Country in Coffs Harbour on June 2001.
Howe has played 99 times for Ulster, most recently coming on as a replacement against Llanelli in January and scoring an injury-time try.
"He always played with an incredible edge and had the ability to raise his game whenever it was needed," said Ulster coach Mark McCall. "He will be hugely missed."
A qualified teacher and fluent speaker of French and German, Howe does not yet know what career path he will follow.
"I'm taking some time at the moment to review my options career-wise but at this point think that I am probably going to hang up the rugby boots altogether at the end of the season," he said.
Christian Cullen came through his first competitive outing since the latter end of last season, when he played for an hour yesterday in the Leinster A v Munster A match at Roscrea. That the former All Black managed so much match time without problems will come as good news to coach Declan Kidney, whose Munster team face Perpignan in two weeks' time in Lansdowne Road.
It was Cullen's last opportunity to prove his fitness before the European Cup quarter-final, though Munster had added him to their squad.
The timing also could hardly have been better as Munster seek to capitalise more fully on what is one of the best packs in the tournament. Cullen's line running had been a feature of the Munster attack prior to his injury.
Yesterday Leinster A defeated their Munster counterparts 29-26. After a rusty 20 minutes an accomplished performance led to tries from Leinster's Greg Stafford and Ken Kennedy and a last-gasp Brendan Burke effort. Eoghan Hickey kicked 14 points.
Munster's Mike Mullins played for an hour before being replaced by the South African Anton Pitout.
Referee Joël Jutge has withdrawn injured from Ireland's Six Nations match at Twickenham tomorrow. He will be replaced by Nigel Whitehouse of Wales. Nigel Owens replaces his compatriot Whitehouse as touch judge.
Australia centre Elton Flatley, whose nerveless kicking forced the 2003 World Cup final against England into extra-time, has retired due to continued blurred vision.
