England's Danny Care retires from international rugby

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England's Danny Care retires from international rugby

2024-03-26 07:11 Last Updated At：07:21

LONDON (AP) — Scrumhalf Danny Care retired from international rugby on Monday after 101 caps in a 15-year England career.

Care played in all five of England's matches in the Six Nations, and came off the bench against Ireland this month to earn his 100th cap. He passed to Marcus Smith, who kicked the winning drop goal.

“The time feels right for myself and the team, to retire from international rugby,” the 37-year-old Care told englandrugby.com. “The past 12 months in this England team have been arguably my favourite, making memories that my family and I will cherish and remember forever.”

He started with England Sevens in 2006 and that year helped them win a Commonwealth Games silver medal.

He made his test debut in June 2008 off the bench against New Zealand in Auckland. He started the second test the following weekend in Christchurch and scored his maiden test try.

More than half of his 101 caps were as a replacement. Eddie Jones didn't play Care in 2019, 2020 and 2021 but the scrumhalf never gave up on reaching 100 caps. He was recalled for the victorious tour of Australia in mid-2022 and stayed on under Jones' successor Steve Borthwick.

Care won three Six Nations and went to Rugby World Cups in 2015 and 2023, when England reached the semifinals. He was injured before 2011 and dropped before 2019.

The sixth Englishman to earn a century of caps thanked the coaches for believing in him. He also gave gratitude to England supporters.

“It means the world,” he said, “and nothing will ever beat the feeling of walking out to all of you at Twickenham.”

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

England assistant coach Arjan Veurink going home to coach the Netherlands after women's Euro 2025

2025-04-15 19:08 Last Updated At：19:30

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Dutch assistant coach of the England women’s national team will be going home to lead the Netherlands after the European Championship in July, where the two countries will play each other.

The Dutch soccer federation said Tuesday that Arjan Veurink has a four-year contract that will start after his work with England — coached by his mentor Sarina Wiegman — at the Euros in Switzerland.

Defending champion England was drawn in the same group as the Netherlands and they meet July 9 in Zurich in the second game for each team. France and Wales also are in a strong-looking Group D.

England won the title at home in 2022 with Wiegman and her longtime assistant Veurink, who also won the previous title together with the Dutch team at the 2017 European Championship.

“I have never hidden my ambition to one day take on the lead role with the Dutch national team,” Veurink said in a statement published by the federation.

“After over eight years of experience at the highest level as Sarina Wiegman’s right-hand man, first with the Netherlands and now in England, I feel ready to stand on my own.”

The English federation said Veurink “remains a highly valued member of Sarina’s team.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer