Former England star hangs up his boots

Former England flanker Michael Lipman has confirmed his retirement from the sport after suffering a number of concussions.

The 32-year-old began his career back in 2001 with Bristol and made 23 appearances for the south-west outfit before switching his allegiance to Bath. The talented back-row star made nearly 100 appearances for the English giants and it was during his time at the Recreation Ground that England came calling. He made 10 appearances for the Red Rose between 2004 and 2008, with the highlight being the 2008 Six Nations, in which he played four of the five fixtures. The Australian-born star returned Down Under in 2010 to play for Warringah in the New South Wales State Shield competition before signing up for the Melbourne Rebels for their inaugural season in Super Rugby in 2011. But, after a number of knocks to the head during his career, Lipman has decided that enough is enough and he has expressed his gratitude at being able to play the sport he loves for so many years. "I feel very blessed to have played in the English Premiership, Heineken Cup, internationals with England and now Super Rugby," he said. "I am so grateful that the Rebels gave me the opportunity to play in this competition. I always wanted to be a part of Super Rugby and I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment. "For me, playing professional rugby is a great test of character. You are constantly measuring yourself against the best and pushing your body beyond its limits. There really is nothing better."