Rugby League: Schofield considers changing codes

GREAT BRITAIN'S most-capped player, Garry Schofield, has retired from the game and may re-surface in rugby union.

Schofield, whose 46 caps are a record he holds jointly with Mick Sullivan, is calling it a day at 34 after playing this season for Bramley in the Northern Ford Premiership. His last appearance for them was as substitute against York last Sunday.

"I wasn't performing to the standard I wanted," said Schofield. "I felt the time was right to hang up my boots, although I look back with a lot of pride on 17 years in the game."

Schofield had an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time and he is one of a handful of players to have amassed more than 300 tries, his total of 320 putting him in the all-time top 20. He won the prestigious Man of Steel title in 1991 and was awarded the OBE for services to sport in 1994.

Despite his achievements at Test level, Schofield was always at the wrong place at the wrong time for honours in his club career with Hull and Leeds. He later coached Huddersfield, whose decision to sack him last season is the subject of legal action, and played at Doncaster before Bramley.

"He's been fantastic here, in the way he has helped the young players," said the Bramley coach, Mike Ford. "But he told me this week it had been preying on his mind and he was going to stop playing."

Schofield is due to have talks this week with Redcar rugby union club about coaching and possibly playing for them.

"It would be a new challenge for me, and there aren't many opportunities in league at the moment," he said.