Greig Laidlaw: former Scotland Rugby Union captain announces retirement from the pitch - career highlights

Greig Laidlaw captained Scotland for seven years until 2019
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The former Scotland captain has announced he will hang up his boots following his time with his current team, Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan.

Greig Laidlaw has said that his family intend to stay in the country for a while longer but he will soon go into coaching following a professional career which has lasted since 2007 when he first joined Edinburgh.

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Taking to Instagram, the 37-year-old Scrum-half said: “We intend as a family to stay in Japan a while longer but it is here I will finally hang up my playing boots. It is time to take everything I have learnt, from a playing career I could only have dreamt of, and move on into coaching.”

Last month, Laidlaw helped the second division side, Urayasu D-Rocks reach the promotion relegation play-off. Here is all you need to know about the former Scotland talisman...

Who is Greig Laidlaw?

Born in Edinburgh in 1985, Laidlaw began playing for Edinburgh in 2007 and would go on to make 137 appearances, scoring 598 points for the side. During a three year stint at Gloucester, between 2014 and 2017, the scrum-half made 59 appearances scoring 559 points before moving to the French Top 14 side Clermont Auvergne on a three-year deal.

Laidlaw and Hogg (L) in Six Nations match against France in 2016Laidlaw and Hogg (L) in Six Nations match against France in 2016
Laidlaw and Hogg (L) in Six Nations match against France in 2016

After amassing 408 points for the French club, Laidlaw then joined the Japanese side Shining Arcs ahead of the 2020-21 Top League season before moving to his current side.

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The 37-year-old first became a regular part of the Scotland squad during the 2012 Six Nations. In his first start against Wales, he played at fly-half, scoring all of Scotland’s 13 points as well as scoring a try. He remained at fly-half throughout the rest of the year at both international and club level, captaining Edinburgh to a semi-final appearance at the Heineken Cup.

Laidlaw was called up to the 2017 British and Irish Lions Tour against New Zealand and the following year was capped with the Barbarians against England during the mid-year rugby tests, scoring a conversion and a try to help the team beat England 43-63 at Twickenham.

The scrum-half was named as his country’s captain in 2013 and would go on to captain Scotland 39 times - the most of any Scottish player. He has 76 caps for his country and scored 714 points, placing him second on Scotland’s all-time points list behind Chris Paterson. Laidlaw announced his retirement from international rugby in December 2019.

What’s been said?

Taking to his social media accounts, the former Thistles captain said: “Playing rugby in Japan has been the most incredible experience. Japanese culture is amazing and to be able to see my children growing up here, watching them learn a new language and adapt to a different way of life is a privilege I will never take for granted.

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“We intend as a family to stay in Japan a while longer but it is here I will finally hang up my playing boots. It is time to take everything I have learnt, from a playing career I could only have dreamt of, and move on into coaching.

“Throughout my playing career, I have pushed myself, I have taken on new experiences, continuously learnt and immersed myself in different cultures. I have always enjoyed figuring out how to work as a team and how to get the best out of my teammates, things I will take with me and continue to develop.

“I believe I have developed a really strong skillset in performing under pressure and leadership, the two areas that I have learnt most about and that have always fascinated me.

“As a player I would like to thank so many different people not least Rachel and the boys for supporting my dreams and allowing me to live them. To everyone who has supported my playing journey, a huge thank you and I hope you will be part of my next chapter also.”

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