The Wallabies will lose their most-capped lock while the Western Force are braced to farewell their “Mother Hen” when Nathan Sharpe hangs up his boots this year.
Sharpe, 34 this month, on Friday officially announced he will retire at the end of the Super Rugby competition after 101 Tests, a record 147 Super matches and 15 seasons of first-class rugby.
The announcement was expected but it still came with tears when the foundation Force captain told team-mates in Perth.
The expansion franchise’s inaugural marquee player, Sharpe moved west from the Queensland Reds at the end of 2005 and has been WA’s face of rugby since.
“It’s almost like Mother Hen has finished,” said coach Richard Graham.
“He just has got a great reputation among the group of getting around to everyone.
“He knows everyone very well and that’s why he’s been a fantastic captain at the club.”
But while Sharpe has been so highly valued at the Force, the veteran second rower’s shine had controversially worn off in the eyes of Wallabies coach Robbie Deans in recent seasons.
Despite his experience and strong form in 2011, Sharpe was benched for Australia’s World Cup quarter-final win over South Africa and then dropped altogether for the semi-final loss to New Zealand.
He was recalled for the bronze play-off against Wales where he led the Wallabies on to Auckland’s Eden Park for his 100th Test and also started against the Welsh again in Cardiff in December.
While Sharpe will be available for the June Tests against Scotland and Wales, it could well be his last appearance for Australia.
Sharpe has admitted he’s not confident of a Test swansong on home soil which would leave him one cap short of Stephen Larkham, whom he ranked as the best he played alongside.
“He just epitomised what it was playing for your country,” Sharpe said.
Flanker George Smith (110) stands as the only Australian forward to have played more Tests than Sharpe, who is fourth overall.
Having debuted for Queensland in 1998, the Gold Coast product said he was humbled to have covered two generations of Wallabies – starting with the likes of John Eales, David Wilson and Larkham and finishing with Will Genia and Force captaincy successor David Pocock.
“I’ve had a wonderful time playing rugby, have seen some pretty special things over my time and cherished every single moment of it,” he said.
“I’ve got one more shot at winning a title and I don’t intend on fading away, I want to finish with my best Super Rugby season yet.”
Sharpe has no plans to coach but is keen to move into the mining sector and spend more time with his two sons while staying in touch with the game as a commentator.
