England captain and two-time Man of Steel Sam Tomkins has announced that he will retire from rugby league at the end of the current season.
The 33-year-old has yet to appear for his club Catalans Dragons so far this term, having undergone knee surgery in the wake of England’s shattering World Cup semi-final defeat to Samoa.
Tomkins made over 200 appearances during two spells with Wigan, interspersed with a brief stint at New Zealand Warriors, and won the prestigious player of the year award twice, in 2012 and 2021.
After moving to France he was an integral part of the rise of Catalans, including their first appearance in a Grand Final in 2021.
Tomkins was included in England’s 2008 World Cup squad and made his international debut the following year, also playing in the 2013 tournament before going on to captain the team under current head coach Shaun Wane.
Tomkins told Sky Sports: “Unfortunately this is going to be my last season on the field. I can’t do it much longer.
“This year is going to be a push, I know I can get out there this year and perform, but I am going to be moving into a role off the field next year, still with the Dragons.”
