The 30-year-old played 15 times for Wales, captaining his country on four occasions
Cardiff and Wales back-row Ellis Jenkins will retire from rugby at the end of this season.
The 30-year-old, who played 15 times for his country and captained them on four occasions, will call time on a career that has seen him establish himself as a key figure at the Arms Park for over a decade.
Jenkins has featured 13 times for Cardiff this season, having battled back in recent years from a serious knee injury that nearly ended his career prematurely and requires constant management to this day.
Making his debut in 2011, Jenkins has played 147 times for Cardiff – captaining the side in the 2018 European Challenge Cup final victory over Gloucester in Bilbao.
Jenkins had been part of the U20s team that defeated New Zealand for the first time in the 2012 Junior World Championships, before leading the side the following year to the final.
First capped for the senior side on the New Zealand tour in 2016, Jenkins would first lead his country in the summer of 2018 – skippering Wales against South Africa in Washington.
However, later that year, Jenkins suffered a serious ACL knee injury at the end of a man-of-the-match performance against the Springboks which kept him out of the game for more than two years. The length of the lay-off led to Jenkins admitting afterwards that he’d come to terms with not returning to rugby at one point.
However, he would return to the game, making a further 43 club appearances and four Test – notably captaining Wales in their win over Australia in 2021. His last cap for Wales came in the 2022 Six Nations.
“I told Jockey (Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt) at the start of the season that this would be my last and after 13 years, it feels like the right time,” said Jenkins.
“There have been a lot of highs and lows through my career and obviously my knee still requires a lot of management, particularly if I’m playing week in, week out. I am no longer able to train at the way I would like, which is frustrating.
“It’s been tough physically and mentally but I am enormously proud of everything I have achieved in my career, particularly coming back from such a big injury to play for Cardiff and Wales again.
“The highs are of course things like Bilbao, derbies and European occasions at the Arms Park, winning my first cap and captaining Wales, but also the experiences, travel and friendships rugby has given me.
“I have been very fortunate and I am enormously grateful to everyone who has supported me on my journey from my family and friends, to my coaches and team-mates, to the supporters, who have always been great.
“I am now looking forward to enjoying rugby from the terrace with a beer, doing all the things I could not do as a player and leading a fit and active life with my young family.
“There are still a few games left this season, which we are all highly motivated for and on a personal level, to have the chance to run out at Cardiff Arms Park one more time is something that will mean a huge amount.”
With four games left in the season, this Saturday’s clash with Edinburgh will be Jenkins’ last opportunity to run out at the Arms Park. After this weekend, the Blue and Blacks finish their season with two matches in South Africa before a Judgement Day clash against the Ospreys at Cardiff City Stadium.
“It’s always a sad moment when a player retires, particularly one of Ellis’ calibre and stature in the game, but he can be enormously proud of everything he has achieved both in a Cardiff and Wales jersey,” added coach Sherratt.
“Not only does he possess a brilliant, natural understanding of the game, he is a great professional, role model and leader within the environment, who has been a key figure throughout my time at the club.
“The injury he suffered playing for Wales in 2018, was obviously a big moment in his career. He was at the peak of his powers, having just led the club the European Challenge Cup career.
“To come back from that injury tells you everything you need to know about his determination and resilience. He has remained an important figure here and his performances this season have been right up there.
“It is brilliant that Ellis will get one last chance to run out at the Arms Park and we are all hoping for a bumper crowd.”