Rugby Union: Fox the hot-shot retires

GRANT FOX, one of the most respected goal-kickers in the game who left the international scene last year, confirmed yesterday that he is retiring from all rugby.

The 31-year-old New Zealand stand-off said that work and family commitments were the main reasons for ending his career. 'I have programmed for it and I am going to stick by my decision,' Fox said. 'I will miss it no doubt.'

Fox first appeared for the All Blacks in 1984. He played in 46 Tests, amassing 645 points, and finished with more than 1,000 points in all matches for his country.

Fox, who works for a sports promotion company, said that moving into business management required a great deal more time and he could not ignore job opportunities.

Fox said that the All Blacks, in spite of losing to England in November, were well on the way to rebuilding and he believed that the Twickenham defeat could be a major motivating force in the future.

Fox, who scored 2,726 points in 189 appearances for the Auckland club, said the crowning moment of his career came when he was a member of the 1987 All Blacks team who won the inaugural World Cup.