Johannesburg - Morne Steyn has retired from international rugby, according to a report by a prominent sports news website.
The flyhalf, who played 68 Tests for the country - the last of which was this year against Argentina - is believed to have informed the Springbok management of his decision after returning from the Rugby Championship tour of Australasia two weeks ago, citing his desire to spend more time with his family as his reasoning.
The 37-year-old will, according to the report, continue to play for the Bulls and is currently in negotiations about a possible contract extension with the union beyond June 2022.
Steyn will surely be remembered as a Springbok legend, with one of his greatest achievements his remarkable performances against the British and Irish Lions, which were separated by 12 years. In his second international match in the second Test against the tourists in 2009, a calm and collected Steyn came off of the bench, replacing Ruan Pienar, and slotted over the winning penalty at Loftus Versfeld to secure a dramatic 28-25 victory, securing the series with a game to spare.
Earlier this year, he repeated the feat against the B&I Lions when he replaced Handre Pollard in the third Test at Cape Town Stadium to convert two penalties that saw the Boks win the game 19-16 and claim the series 2-1.
But it was arguably his fifth Test cap against the old enemy in 2009, that Steyn showed his true class. In that year’s Tri-Nations match against New Zealand in Durban, Steyn scored all the Boks' points in their 31-19 victory. In the following match against Australia, he would go on to score 24 points in Cape Town in a 29-17 triumph.
Steyn would then help the Boks to a three-match clean sweep of the All Blacks a few weeks later – and also to the Tri-Nations title – in a memorable 32-29 win in Hamilton with a 12-point haul.
In all, Steyn retires from Test match rugby having scored 742 points for the Boks, which included eight tries, 102 conversions, 156 penalties and 10 drop goals. He completes his Test career as the second highest point scorer for the national team, behind Percy Montgomery and ahead of Pollard.
IOL Sport