Lee Dickson to Retire

Bedford Blues have announced that scrum-half, coach and former England international Lee Dickson has decided to hang up his boots at the end of the current campaign.

Following a glittering career that has included 18 England caps plus Premiership and LV=Cup winners medals, Dickson will be passing on his vast knowledge of the game as he takes up the role of ‘Master in charge of Rugby’ at Barnard Castle School in County Durham - the school that both he and his brother Karl attended.

Speaking about his retirement, Dickson said: “This has really been one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make and one that I haven’t made lightly. I’ve had two fantastic years at Bedford Blues and I can’t thank Mike Rayer, Geoff Irvine, the players, coaches and all the fans enough for their support.

“Ultimately, I always wanted to finish my career on my own terms rather than being forced into a decision and the timing feels right for both me and my family. I’ve been offered a fantastic opportunity to bring through the next batch of rugby stars and I’m really excited about the future.

“I’ve had a wonderful career, made some amazing friends along the way and loved every moment of it. Rugby has given me so much and I can’t wait to give something back.”

Dickson, 33, joined Bedford from Northampton Saints at the start of the 2017/18 campaign and has gone on to make 40 appearances for the Blues scoring five tries in the process. His move to Goldington Road followed nine years and over 250 appearances for Northampton Saints between 2008 and 2017 whom he joined from Newcastle Falcons.