Former Ulster and Ireland forward Dan Tuohy feels "the values that made me fall for rugby have nearly disappeared" as he announced his retirement from the game due to injury.
The 34-year-old was capped 11 times by Ireland and made over 100 appearances at Ulster, playing in the 2012 Heineken Cup final defeat to Leinster - but a hand injury sustained at French second division club Vannes has forced him to call time on his career.
"It's starting to look like it's rotten from the core," Tuohy wrote on Twitter.
"Integrity and loyalty is a thing of the past, even a simple gesture of looking someone in the eye has gone. I haven't always loved the sport.
"As a professional, you get paid well, the lifestyle is class, all the aside it really is a dream job, although I had grown sick and tired of the pre-season goal setting of honesty and respect being brandished around only to be broken almost straight away by the same people preaching it.
"I've travelled the world, met some great people that now have become lifelong friends, memories that can never be taken away and some absolutely amazing nights out, and that's what it's all about.
"I'm not sure about anything regarding my future and to be honest I'm both apprehensive and excited," he added.
"I will miss the buzz of match days, the changing rooms before and after - there is nothing quite like it. Working towards something with a group of mates and achieving that goal is going to be hard to beat.
"From a skinny 19-year-old from Weston-Super-Mare to representing Ireland against New Zealand and now living in France with my wife and two kids - it's been some journey."
Read if you wish. pic.twitter.com/hMeQwUgGSW
— Daniel Tuohy (@dantuohy5) February 19, 2020
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