Greig Laidlaw is third Scotland player to announce international retirement after World Cup

Only Chris Paterson (809) has more points for Scotland than Laidlaw's 714

Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw has announced his retirement from international rugby after 76 caps.

The 34-year-old Clermont scrum-half is second on the all-time points list for Scotland with 714.

Laidlaw has led the national team 39 times, more than anyone else, and becomes the third senior player to quit the national team after the World Cup.

"It's probably one of the hardest decisions I've had to make," he told Scottish Rugby.

"I feel it's the right time, for me as a player and a person and us for a family, and for the Scotland team as well.

"It's never going to last forever and I've always been passionate about you only ever getting a certain amount of time in the jersey and you need to give they jersey everything you can. I've done that."

Both flanker John Barclay, who also had a spell as captain, and wing Tommy Seymour have already announced their international retirement this month as a new World Cup cycle begins.

Laidlaw followed in the footsteps of his uncle, Roy Laidlaw, when he made his Scotland debut against New Zealand in 2010 while playing for Edinburgh.

In the nine years since, he has been a mainstay of the squad while also playing club rugby for Gloucester and Clermont, playing in two World Cups.

Also capable of playing as a fly-half, Laidlaw became only the second Scotsman, after Mike Blair, to be nominated for World Rugby's Player of the Year in 2015 as he captained Vern Cotter's Scotland to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in England.

Chris Patterson pays tribute to Greig Laidlaw after his retirement was announced.

He was also part of the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2017 but did not earn a Test cap.

"Greig has been an outstanding servant for Scottish rugby, through the passion and skill he displayed when wearing the thistle on his chest and also on the many occasions he led the side," said Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend.

"That he began his Scotland career at stand-off before claiming the number nine jersey shows what an exceptional rugby player he is and was for Scotland and, to be captain on so many occasions, rightly places him alongside the best players to ever led the national team."

As his starting berth for Scotland increasingly came under threat from Glasgow Warriors scrum-half Ali Price, Laidlaw lost the captaincy to Stuart McInally for the World Cup in October but played three of four pool matches, including the crucial decider against Japan, as he reclaimed the armband when McInally was dropped.

However, after Scotland failed to progress, Laidlaw intimated he would consider his international future and joins Barclay and Seymour in calling time on his Scotland career, with Price and Glasgow team-mate George Horne likely to be the scrum-half options for the Six Nations in February.

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318 comments

Comment posted by Garbythelibrarian, at 12:47 19 Dec 2019
Great player and Captain for Scotland.
Comment posted by Rebelyell, at 12:48 19 Dec 2019
Great servant wonderful goal kicker and good captain right time to retire greig
Comment posted by scot63, at 12:51 19 Dec 2019
Thanks Greig for all the times you sailed that ball over the posts. You saved us on many an occassion and always showed the passion and fight needed for a Scotland rugby player. Happy retirement
Comment posted by U18013180, at 13:24 19 Dec 2019
Some people astound me. Pathetic, bitter comments by some on here.

Laidlaw has been a great servant to Scottish rugby and has done more for his sport than you've done anything for anyone, most likely. Armchair losers.
Comment posted by Dangerous, at 12:52 19 Dec 2019
Thanks Greig for all your efforts.
Comment posted by mitch, at 15:56 19 Dec 2019
well i see the tribalism continues, the man represented his country 76 times not that many do that, and he represented them well.

i am english and a rugby fan and it saddens me when i read most of these forums. in rugby we knock 7 bells out of each other for 80 minutes,then we applaud each other off the pitch and have a pint together.
thats the game i love.

respect the guy, he done well.
Comment posted by supavilla, at 12:46 19 Dec 2019
A good player that will be missed
Comment posted by MarkfaethePark, at 12:52 19 Dec 2019
Great player!! thank-you
Comment posted by keepsportonterrestrial, at 12:47 19 Dec 2019
A true great of the modern game and one of the players that always had me excited that Scotland were about to produce something mesmerising. Will be very hard to replace
Comment posted by James Duncan, at 13:16 19 Dec 2019
Played like a terrier, great game manager. Great servant to Scotland and Lions.
Comment posted by vvales, at 20:02 19 Dec 2019
Rumour has it that Laidlaw retired because he was bored with winning the Calcutta cup.
Comment posted by By the book, at 16:09 19 Dec 2019
The Laidlaw family have given a lot to Scottish Rugby.
Not easy to win that many caps when you're the smallest bloke on the pitch
Well done to him on a pretty good international career.
Often found he was a pain when England played them. Always gave his all (though he did like a moan! )

Can't understand people being churlish. Just wish the guy all the best for his future and move on.
Comment posted by Will, at 13:32 19 Dec 2019
I was at the Samoa game in 2015 when his try sealed Scotland's progress to the knockout stage.
One of my best sporting memories.
Comment posted by Yapham, at 18:08 19 Dec 2019
All these comments having a go at Laidlaw as he announces his retirement say more about the posters than they do about the man himself.

I wish him all the best in whatever he decides to do next. To captain his country in so many tests and to make it into a Lions squad is more than most can ever dream of.
Comment posted by Obsen, at 13:31 19 Dec 2019
At least the usual knobs on here, can't moan about him not being Scottish.

And not a bad 10 on his day.
Comment posted by BlueChipper, at 23:22 19 Dec 2019
Pity that this thread - not uniquely to be sure - shows how many mean-spirited people there are around. It is possible to express a degree of criticism without the pure nastiness displayed in a number of contributions. Greig doesn't have to be the greatest player ever to earn a high level of respect.
Comment posted by Jmag, at 13:32 19 Dec 2019
A very under-rated player. What he lacked as a line breaker he made up for as a pivot, and added more with his intelligent reading of the game.

He'll be missed by Scotland.
Comment posted by Dave Kay, at 13:32 19 Dec 2019
You can talk about the pro's and con's of player all day long.

All teams need leaders and Mr Greig did that from the front for Scotland.

Players of his calibre do not come along often and he'll be greatly missed.
Comment posted by tranent, at 12:55 19 Dec 2019
Fantastic contribution to Scottish rugby. Im sure we will see more of him in the times ahead.
Comment posted by isitme, at 23:10 19 Dec 2019
I haven't read all 200 + comments but seen enough. Sad to see the keyboard warriors taking the opportunity to have a cheap shot. He was a good player, gave it his best and got to the top of his profession. If you can't respect him for that at least have the decency not to slag him off. Well played fella and good luck.