Nacewa to retire at end of the season

opinionatedfan · 20-03-2013 8:12am #1

In a development that will hugely disappoint Leinster supporters the province are to lose the services of Isa Nacewa at the end of the current season.

<SNIP>

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2.798/leinster-s-isa-nacewa-to-retire-and-return-home-to-new-zealand-at-end-of-season-1.1331666

Sad news for Leinster, but its been a joy to watch him in Blue

fitz · 20-03-2013 8:26am

opinionatedfan wrote: »

Sad news for Leinster, but its been a joy to watch him in Blue

A Leinster legend.
Hope he enjoys his retirement, and that it's nothing too serious that has brought it about.
A great shame that he never got to light up the International stage as an All Black, I'm sure he would have been one of their greats.

randomname2005 · 20-03-2013 8:30am

fitz wrote: »

A Leinster legend.
Hope he enjoys his retirement, and that it's nothing too serious that has brought it about.
A great shame that he never got to light up the International stage as an All Black, I'm sure he would have been one of their greats.

Best of luck to him and his family when they return to NZ. Hopefully he will be able to send some players Leinster's way in the future!

totallegend · 20-03-2013 8:33am

Noooooooooooooooooooo!

That is a disaster.

I'm gutted, the guy has been Leinster's best ever import and a huge part of our success.

I hope the retirement bit is wide of the mark, he still has a huge amount to offer.

Podge_irl · 20-03-2013 8:34am

Goodnight sweet prince.

I'm off for a wee cry.

Foxtrol · 20-03-2013 8:46am

No more Isa (,Isa, Isa...)

Gutted but wish him all the best with his retirement! Probably not in his best form so far this season but hopefully he can get back to top form and send him off in style!

durkadurka · 20-03-2013 8:46am

Emmet quite rightly called him the most electrifying force in sports entertainment.

I'm devastated. Absolutely great player.

Kilkenny14 · 20-03-2013 9:23am

He is a huge loss for Leinster - I hope he has a happy retirement.

Anyone have an idea who his replacement is in South Africa?

ongarite · 20-03-2013 9:26am

Super sad news for Leinster, wish him all the best back in NZ.

He owes us nothing and was one of the best NIQ signings we ever made.

Bassfish · 20-03-2013 9:27am

Big loss for Leinster, hugely dynamic player. Odd that he's retiring altogether, thought he would have little trouble finding work at a decent level in NZ? Personal reasons I suppose.

irishbucsfan · 20-03-2013 9:31am

Maybe they'll bring in Willie Le Roux. He's just as flexible as Isa and if we're lucky we'll find out he's related to Ollie.

molloyjh · 20-03-2013 9:35am

It really has been a painful season for Leinster. Isa has been massive for us for the last few years. He's given us so much and will go down alongside the likes of Filipe as one of the most important and exciting talents to grace the blue jersey.

I hope whatever has him retiring isn't too serious and I wish him all the best. Hope we can send him off in style.

Quint2010 · 20-03-2013 9:35am

Vital player for Leinster over past four seasons although hasn't been at his best this season. Legend.

melekalikimaka · 20-03-2013 10:20am

he found his true calling a while back, gonna start up his own business

A-Train · 20-03-2013 10:25am

Terrible blow for Leinster. True great of the game.

That try against Leicester in 2011 will always be the highlight for me.

totallegend · 20-03-2013 10:42am

Not afraid to put his body on the line either.

awec · 20-03-2013 10:45am

He's only 31, that's pretty young. Would have thought he'd have another few years in him.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 20-03-2013 10:52am

awec wrote: »

He's only 31, that's pretty young. Would have thought he'd have another few years in him.

He has to go back to nz for personal reasons. If playing in Nz he wouldn't been a massive amount and his retirement tax break for retiring after a final season in Ireland is more than he would earn in a couple of years in Nz.

tolosenc · 20-03-2013 10:53am

Nooooooooooo!

Clegg · 20-03-2013 11:02am

Terrible news for Leinster fans. But thank you to Nacewa for everything he's done for the province. I think its fair to say that he's been one of our best players of the professional era.

Teferi · 20-03-2013 11:10am

Devastating news. An absolute legend, such a terrific player.

irishbucsfan · 20-03-2013 11:15am

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

He has to go back to nz for personal reasons. If playing in Nz he wouldn't been a massive amount and his retirement tax break for retiring after a final season in Ireland is more than he would earn in a couple of years in Nz.

I wonder if this is it.

I also wonder if maybe part of his agreement to break contract with Leinster was that he would remain uncontracted in case of a severe injury crisis?

ssaye · 20-03-2013 11:20am

Highlights and memories

He carried the team when the Internationals were away.

His place kicking was superb esp. the one curled in in the sportsgrounds.

A try on his debut and never looked back.

Shouting Rocky and Isa Isa in Croke Park during the lap of honour, I was near the front row and orange dividers and he looked absolutely shocked at the support, I will never forget that face.

A great memory I have of him is when Contepomi had his leaving do in the RDS, the players all came out to give autographs. Everyone was running for Luke Fitz at the time and Felipe as expected and I had my little brother with me.

Having met some of the players I was in the car park and bumped into Isa and he was so surprised when I asked him for a photo and autograph as he was only new. He was smiling from ear to ear, such a nice bloke. He spoke for ages to us and I wished him good luck and off he went.

The following season a similar gathering and I spotted him again and he was being swarmed this time, what a difference a year made.

I had spoken to him many times since but he doesn't go unnoticed these days and still is as humble as ever.

Thanks for everything

chris85 · 20-03-2013 11:21am

What a class player. The most memorable moment I have of him is the try against Leicester in the HEC QF a few years back. Pure class.

WinnyThePoo · 20-03-2013 11:24am

Shocked. Unstoppable force when in form. With Contepomi retiring, Sexton going to France and now this, i don't think i want to read the news anymore...its all to much.

totallegend · 20-03-2013 11:27am

Think my favourite Nacewa moment was when he sliced open the Munster defence in the 2009 semi-final for the lead-up to D'Arcy's try. For me it just sums up what makes him great; his reading of what's in front of him and knowing exactly what angle to take, when to hit the line and when to offload it.

Hope the 'personal reasons' that have prompted this aren't anything unpleasant.

durkadurka · 20-03-2013 11:48am

2011 HEC final vs Northampton. He caught that high ball that set in chain the sequence involving Healy and Sob charging up the field and we just knew that Northampton were finished.

shuffol · 20-03-2013 11:49am

Class act in every way, will be missed. Leinster lose a lot of good players to retirement relatively young. Gleeson, Hickie, Nacewa. Wish him best of luck in the future.

shuffol · 20-03-2013 11:51am

durkadurka wrote: »

2011 HEC final vs Northampton. He caught that high ball that set in chain the sequence involving Healy and Sob charging up the field and we just knew that Northampton were finished.

Particularly as he missed a fairly straightforward one in the first half, it was like transformation complete.

ssaye · 20-03-2013 11:51am

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/mobile/news/9488.php

Leinster Rugby have today confirmed that Isa Nacewa will leave the province at the end of the season and retire from professional rugby due to family reasons...
Nacewa, 30, joined Leinster in the summer of 2008 and has played a pivotal role in the province's three Heineken Cup titles. Capped 116 times to date, the Aucklander has accumulated 375 points in all competitions. In 2011 Nacewa was named both the Irish Rugby Union Players' Association (IRUPA) and the Leinster Rugby Bank of Ireland Player of the Year, as well as being chosen as full-back on the 'PRO12 Dream Team' for 2011 and was shortlised for the ERC European Player of the Year.
Leinster expect to announce news of a new signing in the coming weeks.
Commenting on the news, Leinster coach Joe Schmidt said: "I've known Isa for a number of years. He's universally respected due to the quality of his character, his athleticism, skill and commitment.
"He has been great value for us, not just on the field where he has provided a string of highlights but off the field also, where he has contributed enormously to the development of the players around him."
"He's hugely popular amongst supporters and hopefully they will enjoy a few more outstanding performances from Isa in the coming weeks.

totallegend · 20-03-2013 11:58am

Just looking at his stats on the Leinster website;

He started 37 consecutive HC matches for Leinster, beginning in round 5 of the pool stages in 08-09 and ending in Exeter this season.

He played every minute of Leinster's winning HEC campaigns of both 2011 and 2012.

In the 2010-2011 season, as well as playing every minute of the HEC campaign, he started 22 of the 24 Rabo games and was only substituted four times.

I could go on like this for a while but none of it would do justice to the man.

SebBerkovich · 20-03-2013 12:14pm

I'm really gonna miss that guy, he had some really amazing moments of magic on the pitch...

chris85 · 20-03-2013 12:22pm

totallegend wrote: »

Just looking at his stats on the Leinster website;

He started 37 consecutive HC matches for Leinster, beginning in round 5 of the pool stages in 08-09 and ending in Exeter this season.

He played every minute of Leinster's winning HEC campaigns of both 2011 and 2012.

In the 2010-2011 season, as well as playing every minute of the HEC campaign, he started 22 of the 24 Rabo games and was only substituted four times.

I could go on like this for a while but none of it would do justice to the man.

Wow, every minute of two winning campaigns in HEC. Unbelieveable!

Dravokivich · 20-03-2013 12:28pm

totallegend wrote: »

I could go on like this for a while but none of it would do justice to the man.

Give him your username!

.ak · 20-03-2013 12:33pm

Absolute gent, anytime I've met him he's always had plenty of time for the banter. Showing true character to concentrate on his growing family and return back to NZ. Although a small part of me always hoped he'd stay in Ireland after his retirement, as he really seemed to enjoy life here.

molloyjh · 20-03-2013 12:37pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU-uFS8USLQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHIDaqt2Tow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=528HoWAprvo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iU-EizyCBc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq7Q_Se-GZ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwLZaqafa_o

Pudsy33 · 20-03-2013 12:43pm

The try where he out-jumps North is class!

sydthebeat · 20-03-2013 12:50pm

the perfect send off will be the rabo and the amlin!!!

peterako · 20-03-2013 1:01pm

Truly Gutted when I heard the news this morning

I know he was not going to go on forever. And that the IRFU 'Foreign Players' rule was eventually going to make it very difficult....

But.....

What a 'servant' to Leinster, and indeed Irish, Rugby (his ethic, skills and influence)!

A REAL all-rounder who really should have been one of the All-Black greats!

Isa, Isa, Isa!!!!

gcgirl · 20-03-2013 1:20pm

I'm practically in tears after hearing Isa is gone at the end of the season and retiring! One of the best players ever to wear the blue

fitz · 20-03-2013 1:21pm

Shamelessly robbed from someone on Twitter, but if the crowd don't sing a chorus of "céad míle fáilte romhat a Isa" during his final game it will be a massive missed opportunity...

irishbucsfan · 20-03-2013 1:23pm

fitz wrote: »

Shamelessly robbed from someone on Twitter, but if the crowd don't sing a chorus of "céad míle fáilte romhat a Isa" during his final game it will be a massive missed opportunity...

In fairness Isa is a bit too close to Iosa for it to be a coincidence.

And if BOD and Isa are part of a holy trinity, who is the third?

Quint2010 · 20-03-2013 1:27pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

In fairness Isa is a bit too close to Iosa for it to be a coincidence.

And if BOD and Isa are part of a holy trinity, who is the third?

D'Arcy/Sexton?

CIARAN_BOYLE · 20-03-2013 1:30pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

In fairness Isa is a bit too close to Iosa for it to be a coincidence.

And if BOD and Isa are part of a holy trinity, who is the third?

Remember Pentecost came after the Ascension

When Iosa the son of BOD was taken into heaven then and only then did the holy spirit come down upon the believers

Adam Byrne to make a massive breakthrough next season? Or else Isa's replacement to do the job.

.ak · 20-03-2013 1:54pm

I remember reading how upset Isa was after losing to Munster in the 2011 final. After pretty much single-handedly dragging us into contention into the 2012 final and then to lose it in the end, I can only imagine he's gagging to leave with that trophy.

Tim Robbins · 20-03-2013 1:58pm

What a super player Isa. Thanks for all the memories and playing a super important piece in the best rugby I have ever seen any Irish team play in all my years following rugby.

.ak · 20-03-2013 2:06pm

Too soon?

astonaidan · 20-03-2013 2:08pm

So much for holding out hope in him realising his true place belonged in Connaught

molloyjh · 20-03-2013 2:09pm

.ak wrote: »

Too soon?

Too soon....

Derek Zoolander · 20-03-2013 2:31pm

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

He has to go back to nz for personal reasons. If playing in Nz he wouldn't been a massive amount and his retirement tax break for retiring after a final season in Ireland is more than he would earn in a couple of years in Nz.

THis is the key - wouldn't be surprised to see him unretire once the check from Revenue clears and he's settled down in NZ...

CIARAN_BOYLE · 20-03-2013 2:36pm

Derek Zoolander wrote: »

THis is the key - wouldn't be surprised to see him unretire once the check from Revenue clears and he's settled down in NZ...

I'm sure that wouldn't be legally allowed. I doubt Isa would go for something underhanded like that

Nacewa to retire at end of the season

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