The news that Dan Leavy has been forced into retirement at 27-years old was incredibly hard to stomach. An immensely talented player for both province and country, he looked to have the world at his feet when he broke into the Ireland team back in 2016, going on to play a pivotal role in the side that won a Grand Slam two years later.
However, injuries have taken their toll on his body. The Leinster man was ruled out for 19 months after suffering a horrific knee injury in the Champions Cup win over Ulster in 2019, and while he has come back to the pitch for a couple of different spells, mounting concerns mean he has been advised to hang up his boots.
It is a massive loss to both Leinster and Ireland, with Leavy would have been expecting to enter his prime around now. Instead, his career is over.
Speaking ahead of Munster's Champions Cup meeting with Exeter this weekend, Peter O'Mahony paid tribute to Dan Leavy and summed up what a blow this will be to Irish rugby.
I certainly want to start off by saying I'm gutted to hear the news for him. An incredible athlete, an incredible rugby player, but he's a top man which is more important.
Playing alongside him, I was lucky enough to do it in the 2018 season when we won the Slam, and he was into everything, an incredibly pivotal role in that campaign and that team.
He really kicked on into that group, that younger age group that's with Ireland, he really kicked on with them and was destined for great things.
It's very tough for everyone playing rugby in Ireland, to hear that kind of news. Just a good person, mainly, that's the main reason.
An incredible rugby player that Leinster and Ireland have lost. It's sad news.
A nice touch.
This is certainly an unfortunate end to what should have been a long and successful career, although Leavy managed to achieve quite a bit during his relatively short time in the game.
SEE ALSO: Ronan O'Gara Would 'Love' Crack At Coaching England
