On Tuesday, CJ Stander announced the shock decision to retire from rugby at the end of the season. The South Africa-born player has been a superb for Munster since he joined in 2012 and Ireland since making his debut in 2016.
Early days training with Munster
31 October 2012; Munster head coach Rob Penney in conversation with CJ Stander. Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE
21 November 2012; Munster's CJ Stander during squad training. CIT, Bishopstown, Cork. Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE
Munster debut
25 November 2012; CJ Stander, Munster, speaks to John Yapp, Scarlets, after an off the ball incident. Musgrave Park, Cork. Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE
Two tries on his first start
1 December 2012; CJ Stander, Munster, scores his second try in a Celtic League game against Glasgow Warriors. Thomond Park, Limerick. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
European debut
12 October 2013; CJ Stander, Munster, is tackled by Willem Nel of Edinburgh during a Heineken Cup game at Murrayfield. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
2013/14 Heineken Cup quarter-final
5 April 2014; CJ Stander, Munster, celebrates after the game with his man of the match award.Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE
European semi-final disappointment
27 April 2014; Munster's James Coughlan, left, and CJ Stander leave the field after defeat to Toulon. Stade Vélodrome, Marseille. Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE
Ireland debut
7 February 2016; CJ Stander during the anthems before the Six Nations game vs Wales at the Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
CJ Stander in action against Sam Warburton, Wales. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
First Ireland try
12 March 2016; CJ Stander, Ireland, scores his side's third try of the match during a Six Nations match against Italy at the Aviva Stadium. Picture credit: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
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Player of the Year
4 May 2016; CJ Stander is interviewed after winning the IRUPA Players' Player of the Year at the IRUPA Rugby Player Awards. Picture credit: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
Playing South Africa
11 June 2016; CJ Stander is shown a straight red card by referee Mathieu Raynal during the first test against South Africa at the DHL Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Playing after Anthony Foley's death
22 October 2016; CJ Stander of Munster wears number 24, after shirt number 8 was retired for the match as a tribute to former Munster head coach Anthony Foley. European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 1 Round 2 match between Munster and Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park in Limerick. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
22 October 2016; The sons of the late Munster Rugby head coach Anthony Foley, Tony and Dan, along with Munster players, from left, Ronan O'Mahony, Rory Scannell, and CJ Stander, sing 'Stand Up and Fight'. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
The sons of the late Munster Rugby head coach Anthony Foley, Tony, left, and Dan, with CJ Stander Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Beating the All Blacks
5 November 2016; CJ Stander and Donnacha Ryan of Ireland celebrate victory over New Zealand at Soldier Field in Chicago, USA. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Victory over Toulouse
1 April 2017; CJ Stander of Munster celebrates after scoring his side's second try during the European Rugby Champions Cup Quarter-Final match against Toulouse at Thomond Park. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
Pro12 final disappointment
27 May 2017; Jaco Taute, left, and CJ Stander of Munster after the Guinness PRO12 Final between Munster and Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
27 May 2017; Munster's CJ Stander is consoled by wife Jean-Marie following the Guinness PRO12 Final between Munster and Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
2017 Lions tour of New Zealand
31 May 2017; CJ Stander as the Lions squad arrive at Auckland Airport in New Zealand. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
10 June 2017; CJ Stander, left, and Conor Murray of the Lions following the match against the Crusaders at AMI Stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
27 June 2017; CJ Stander of the the Lions with Callum Gibbins of the Hurricanes. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
8 July 2017; CJ Stander of the Lions following the third test against the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Grand Slam winners
17 March 2018; Ireland players celebrate a try by CJ Stander Six Nations game against England at Twickenham. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
CJ Stander of Ireland celebrates after Ireland defeated England at Twickenham to win the Grand Slam. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
18 March 2018; CJ Stander is greeted by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, T.D. during the Ireland homecoming at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Champions Cup semi-final disappointment
22 April 2018; CJ Stander of Munster after the European Rugby Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Racing 92 at the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux, France. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
2019 World Cup
22 September 2019; CJ Stander of Ireland makes a break during the 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool A match against Scotland at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
28 September 2019; Ireland players, from left, Rory Best, CJ Stander and Luke McGrath after defeat to Japan at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
30 September 2019; CJ Stander and Jean Kleyn in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction during a visit to Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
19 October 2019; CJ Stander of Ireland following defeat to the All Blacks at the Tokyo Stadium in Chofu, Japan during the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
See Also: CJ Stander Recruited Donnacha Ryan To Help Him Learn And Understand Amhrán na bhFiann
