News
Sean McCarthy announces decision to retire
Bedford Blues can confirm club captain and loosehead prop Sean McCarthy has announced he will retire from rugby at the end of the 2021 Championship season.
An experienced Championship front-rower with over 170 appearances in the division, the 30-year-old has decided to hang up his boots following the Battle of Bedfordshire clash with Ampthill this Saturday to focus on other ventures, including property development.
A mainstay in the side since joining the Blues in 2017 from Jersey Reds, McCarthy has made 81 appearances to date with highlights including back-to-back third placed finishes in the Championship table during his first two campaigns and a British & Irish Cup Semi-Final.
Leading the team for the last two seasons, McCarthy leaves the Blues with the best wishes of the Club for his future endeavours.
Director of Rugby, Mike Rayer said: “First and foremost, Sean has been a great asset to the Club on the pitch with his technical ability and game understanding.
“He is also one of the most skilful players I’ve had at the Club with his ability to play in open field and has been a great asset for us in the way we play.
“On top of that he’s been an absolute pleasure to work with as captain over the last two seasons, and in particular during this COVID period, where he’s acted as conduit for the players in doing some great work behind the scenes.
“Look, we’re disappointed he’s retiring but fully respect his decision and he’s going out on his terms, which not a lot of players get to do. Sean’s got a great feeling and understanding about the game and the club for that matter, and we would love to still see him around here in some capacity.”
The departing McCarthy added: “A few people I’ve spoken to said ‘when you know you know’ and coming back this year after a long time of not playing through COVID, I knew now was the right time.
“It was quite hard mentally and physically to go from not playing at all to ramping it up in six weeks to be back playing again. My heart wasn’t in it as it was before. Once I realised that and it dawned on me that I wasn’t able to give the best performances, then it was time to hang up the boots.
“I won’t go cold turkey on rugby, I’d love to stay involved here at Bedford in some regard. I don’t entirely know what that would look like, but I think if I was to just fade away and never touch a rugby ball again then it would be difficult. It would help my transition to still be in touch in some way, even if that’s just running the water on at the weekend!
“My focus is to finish with a flourish and enjoy my final match in a local derby with crowds returning. The fans will certainly make a difference as we’ve really missed them this season. Thank you to everyone for the support.”
