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Blaine Scully has announced his retirement from rugby at the age of 32. The USA’s captain at Rugby World Cup 2019 ends a career that saw the Sacramento native win 54 test caps for the Eagles while enjoying six years as a professional at the highest levels of European rugby.
After excelling at the collegiate level with first UCLA and then the Cal Golden Bears, Scully signed on the with the USA Sevens program in Chula Vista but an Achilles tear ended his season early and kept him sidelined for months. Not long after returning he was snapped up by Leicester Tigers and spent two years in the English Premiership.
A move to Cardiff Blues came in 2015 and the 6’3″ (1.90m) winger would spend the best part of four seasons in Wales. He left his final contract a month early to focus on preparation for his third World Cup. Appointed Eagles captain in 2016, Scully started all four matches in Japan and memorably scored two tries against Argentina in Kumagaya.
The announcement comes less than a month after the birth of his daughter and just a week removed from his television broadcasting debut with NBC Sports. It also ends speculation that Scully might sign for a Major League Rugby side, though an off-field role with a team remains a possibility.
Scully is also co-founder and chairperson of the US Rugby Players Association (USRPA). The organization works as a liaison between national team athletes and the national governing body.
