Dan Leavy retires

[mildlyinterested]

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/dan-leavy- ... rom-rugby/

It has been announced that Leinster Rugby back row Dan Leavy is to retire from the game with immediate effect.

The 27-year-old has played 79 times for Leinster Rugby since his debut against Edinburgh Rugby in October 2014 and has also won 11 Ireland caps.

Unfortunately, Leavy suffered a significant knee injury against Ulster Rugby in March 2019, and following expert medical opinion, and despite his best efforts, he has been advised to retire.

Speaking to leinsterrugby.ie, Leavy said, “I have done everything I can to come back from the knee injury I suffered in 2019 but unfortunately I can’t do any more or ask any more of my body.

“I’d like to thank Andy Williams, my surgeon, and Karl Denvir, my physio in Leinster, for all that they have done for me in the years since then. I can take solace from the fact that I tried everything over the last three years.

“From the early days in Old Belvedere to my time in St Michael’s College, all I wanted was to pull on a Leinster Rugby jersey. And then when you achieve that, it’s an Ireland jersey.

[blockhead]

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/dan-leavy- ... rom-rugby/

It has been announced that Leinster Rugby back row Dan Leavy is to retire from the game with immediate effect.

The 27-year-old has played 79 times for Leinster Rugby since his debut against Edinburgh Rugby in October 2014 and has also won 11 Ireland caps.

Unfortunately, Leavy suffered a significant knee injury against Ulster Rugby in March 2019, and following expert medical opinion, and despite his best efforts, he has been advised to retire.

Speaking to leinsterrugby.ie, Leavy said, “I have done everything I can to come back from the knee injury I suffered in 2019 but unfortunately I can’t do any more or ask any more of my body.

“I’d like to thank Andy Williams, my surgeon, and Karl Denvir, my physio in Leinster, for all that they have done for me in the years since then. I can take solace from the fact that I tried everything over the last three years.

“From the early days in Old Belvedere to my time in St Michael’s College, all I wanted was to pull on a Leinster Rugby jersey. And then when you achieve that, it’s an Ireland jersey.

Feck it anyways. What we all feared. What a massive loss.
Thanks for 2018 Dan, you were immense.

[FLIP]

Desperately gutting that he's had to throw in the towel. He's worked hard to try to get back too.

I'll buy a bottle of his whiskey to see him well in the future

[RoboProp]

Best of luck Dan in all your future endeavours. Dan was the man, he just had it, at his pomp he reminded so much of Pocock. He had it all. Thanks for everything

[cormac]

Ah fupp it. That's a real shame, he was a hell of a player.

Best of luck to him in all his future endeavours.

[Degz]

That's terrible, albeit not unexpected, news.

He was so good in 2018, really felt he could've been one of the greats.

Best of luck for the future Dan.

[LeinsterLeader]

Gutted! That’s all I can say for the moment

[enby]

Although his career was unfairly a short one, he retires with Grand Slam, Heineken Cup and Pro 14 medals and he was central to the winning of each of those trophies. We all will have the memories of his incredible 2017/19 but he is due huge praise for his unstinting efforts to achieve full recovery from the horrific injury.
Best of luck to him in the next phase of his life

[Oldschoolsocks]

f%~k it anyway.

You can’t say he didn’t give it his all, that’s some rehab he put himself through.

Thanks for the memories Dan

[hugonaut]

A sad day.

It was amazing that he was able to make it back on to the pitch at all after that catastrophic injury - it shows what a phenomenal competitor he is.

I remember sitting down with my older brother to watch the Senior Cup Final when Leavy was St Michael's captain. He was getting a load of hype throughout their campaign and the two of us were laughing our asses off about the extent of it, having not seen him play. Halfway through that match, we were converts! "Holy smokes, how good is this lad Leavy? Better than Barry Gibney-Captain?"

Of course, that was only a precursor to what he achieved as a pro. His 2016-17 season was outstanding - he got on the pitch so much, and he was everywhere, doing everything. A natural-born rugby player. And then he stepped it up again the following season! Grand Slam champion, Six Nations medallist, European champion and league winner, central to all those victories.

Can't say enough about him – a natural rugby player, ferocious competitor, tough b$&%@#d and characterful leader. Huge respect for him.

[curates_egg]

Desperately sad, but somewhat inevitable news, despite his courageous battle to get back to his best.

An astonishing talent. Would have been a starting Lion last year.

I said it on another thread just this week, but I remain enraged that Wiahann Herbst got away scot-free with the incredibly reckless clear out that ultimately caused this. I watched it again this week: in from the side, no-arm flying torpedo, directly at his prone knee. No penalty was given. There was no citing. And Herbst got invited back for another contract by Ulster the following season, which the IRFU presumably greenlighted.
I won't go the libelous path of TRK and claim it was premeditated and intentional, but it was grossly reckless and clearly a red card offence.

[Lock9541]

A really successful but short career. There was one stage where I genuinely felt he was the best flanker in the world and was likely to start for the British and Irish Lions. Pitty it had to be cut short but what a phenomenal player he was.

[Dave Cahill]

no-arm flying torpedo, directly at his prone knee.

None of these things actually happened.

[curates_egg]

no-arm flying torpedo, directly at his prone knee.

None of these things actually happened.

Every single one did.
https://www.sportsjoe.ie/rugby/rugby-br ... ury-197586

It was a clear as day red.
Too late now.
Poor Dan.

[outcast eddie]

It's very sad to see a sparkling career come to such a premature end.

Thanks for all you did in blue and green Dan.

[Dave Cahill]

Herbst attempts to bind on Fardy who steps back causing him to fall on the ground, at the same time O'Sullivan binds on Leavy and drives him back, his leg gets trapped and the injury occurs. There is no flying torpedo at a prone knee. It was an unfortunate rugby incident

[Degz]

Herbst attempts to bind on Fardy who steps back causing him to fall on the ground, at the same time O'Sullivan binds on Leavy and drives him back, his leg gets trapped and the injury occurs. There is no flying torpedo at a prone knee. It was an unfortunate rugby incident

Nah. Burn the witch.

[Twist]

I’m absolutely sickened for him. He could’ve been the best backrow Leinster ever produced.

[jezzer]

Watching him in the Senior Cup i don't think i was ever as convinced about a player being a dead cert to become a top pro. He was that good.

And he delivered in blue. He would, without injury, have been one of our top - if not our top player. Talismanic.

So I'm sure he'll feel he's retiring with a sense of what might have been. But in his short time playing to his potential, he achieved a lot in a short time.

Hard luck for all that rehab work not bearing fruit and i wish him the very best for the future. He deserves some good fortune coming his way. Play the Euromillones, Dan!

[wixfjord]

Desperately sad, but somewhat inevitable news, despite his courageous battle to get back to his best.

An astonishing talent. Would have been a starting Lion last year.

I said it on another thread just this week, but I remain enraged that Wiahann Herbst got away scot-free with the incredibly reckless clear out that ultimately caused this. I watched it again this week: in from the side, no-arm flying torpedo, directly at his prone knee. No penalty was given. There was no citing. And Herbst got invited back for another contract by Ulster the following season, which the IRFU presumably greenlighted.
I won't go the libelous path of TRK and claim it was premeditated and intentional, but it was grossly reckless and clearly a red card offence.

Totally wrong on Herbst. Watch it again.