Freddie Burns, the former England fly-half and Premiership champion, has announced his retirement from professional rugby after a career spanning almost twenty years. The 36-year-old, who spent the latest stage of his career with Romanian club Dinamo Bucureşti, expressed his gratitude to fans, teammates, and coaches in a heartfelt message on Instagram.
Burns reflected on his journey, saying: “As a child, I dreamed of playing just one minute of professional rugby. To have lived this career for almost two decades is more than I ever imagined. I feel incredibly fortunate.”
Throughout his career, Burns featured for several clubs across different countries, including Cinderford, Gloucester, Leicester Tigers, Bath, the Highlanders in New Zealand, Shokki in Japan, and Dinamo Bucureşti. He thanked each club for the opportunity to pursue his dream, describing it as a privilege to represent every one of them.
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Representing England was the pinnacle of his career. Burns earned five caps for his country, making his international debut in December 2012 when he replaced Owen Farrell in a 38-21 victory over New Zealand. He described wearing the England jersey as the greatest honour of his career.
Perhaps one of Burns’s most memorable moments came in the 2022 Premiership final, where he secured Leicester’s victory with a last-minute drop goal, helping the club claim the title.
In his message, he extended thanks to all those who contributed to his career, from teammates and coaches to physios, analysts, and even translators. He also expressed appreciation to supporters, saying, “I hope I gave you as many reasons to be proud of your team as you gave me reasons to be proud to represent it.”
Burns also offered personal thanks to his family and long-time agent Nick Robinson. Showing his spirited nature, he took a cheeky jab at his early-career critics with a candid message: “To those who said I was too small and would never make it, f**k you.”
Reflecting on the lessons rugby taught him, Burns highlighted resilience as his key takeaway: “The setbacks made the successes sweeter, and the challenges shaped the person I am today.”
He concluded simply with gratitude, saying, “Thank you, rugby.”