James Tracy forced to retire from rugby
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Leinster Rugby hooker James Tracy has this morning announced he has been forced to retire from professional rugby on medical grounds due to a neck injury he suffered in April 2022.
Despite his best efforts and that of the Leinster Rugby medical team to get back playing again, that has not been possible.
31-year-old Tracy won 141 caps for Leinster in a stellar career spanning ten seasons, and was also capped six times by Ireland.
The Kildare native won a Champions Cup medal in 2018, coming off the bench in the final against Racing 92 in Bilbao, and has four PRO14 titles and two British & Irish cups to his name.
"To my teammates, former and current, forming friendships and unbreakable bonds on and off the field is what makes rugby so special and so important to me"#ThanksJT pic.twitter.com/7p0gdgfLpo
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) December 22, 2022
Tracy, who came through the Leinster Rugby age grade programme, started his rugby journey with Naas RFC. He later captained Newbridge College and played with UCD in the All-Ireland League.
He made his Leinster Rugby debut in November 2012 against the Ospreys while still in the Academy, and over the next few seasons would play a pivotal role in the progress made by the club under Leo Cullen.
In the 2015/16 season, he made his Champions Cup debut, on the way to 13 appearances, and that led to selection in the Ireland squad and a try-scoring debut against Canada in the November internationals.
Tracy was a crucial part of the double-winning success of 2017/18 playing in both the European and the domestic finals.
His last appearance for Leinster Rugby was in April of this year against Connacht Rugby in the Heineken Champions Cup.
