Former Loughborough University student and Leicester Tigers centre Dan Hipkiss has been forced to retire due to a persistant shoulder injury.
Hipkiss, 30, has not played since January during a 29-15 loss to London Wasps, and has opted to retire from rugby union on the advice of the medical staff at current club Bath. The news comes as a shock to Bath Rugby after he recently signed a contract extension to remain at the Rec until the end of the 2013-14 season and
Despite growing up in Ipswich, Hipkiss was talent-spotted and offered a scholarship from Leicester Tigers to learn his craft in the Midlands, overcoming a career-threatening knee problem to do so. He then attended Loughborough University studying Sports and Exercise Science before moving to Leicester permanently to play for the Tigers Academy.
Hipkiss was named Tigers' Player of the year in 2006-07 and later made his first appearence for England in 2007 against Wales, and conluded his international career as he began with a substitute appearence against Wales in 2010. But after ten years and 129 appearences for the Tigers, scoring 155 points, he joined Bath on a two-year deal in 2011.
Talking to the BBC, Hipkiss said: "It's not how anyone wants to leave the game, but when a doctor tells you it's time you have to listen. I've loved my time at Bath and was really looking forward to another year here."
Dan Hipkiss retires with four Premiership, two Anglo-Welsh and one Heineken Cup winners medal to show for his years of hard work at Leicester Tigers, and ensured Bath were guarenteed European Rugby for the 2013-14 season.
