Samoa international Winston Stanley has announced his immediate retirement from professional rugby after medical advice, according to a report on BBC Sport.
The 29-year-old has been suffering from an injury and following advice from his medical doctors, he has made the decision to retire.
Australian-born Stanley was part of the New Zealand Under 20 team that won the IRB Junior World Championship in 2009 before going on to make three international appearances for Samoa in 2014.
Stanley was understandably devastated about retiring and believes that it was a decision that he had to make.
He said:
I was devastated to receive the news and it has been hard to come to terms with.
I’d like to thank all the staff involved with Quins for their unwavering support. Especially the strength and conditioning and Medical staff for their exhaustive efforts with my rehabilitation.
It has been an honour to have had the opportunity to play at the top level, and ultimately finish my career at a famous club such as Harlequins. I have many special memories and wish the Club all the very best going forward.
The centre leaves Harlequins with immediate effect as he looks to focus on recovering from injury before venturing into a new challenge.
The club is currently ninth in the Aviva Premiership and knows that losing Stanley is a huge blow for them.
