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Brett Beukeboom has confirmed his retirement from professional rugby. At just 29 years old the decision comes as a surprise and follows that of fellow Canadian international and clubmate Matt Evans. The Cornish Pirates captain was to make the announcement at the end of the season, but with the RFU Championship shutting down due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the news has come early.
Hailing from Lindsay, Ontario, Beukeboom was a two-year starter for Canada’s under-20 side playing in both the 2009 Junior World Championship and the 2010 Junior World Trophy. The 6’5″ (1.96m) second row quickly made the jump to senior rugby, making his test debut against the USA in 2012 at Kingston’s Richardson Stadium.
Beukeboom would win 35 caps in all, most recently playing in the 2018 World Cup Repechage tournament where he scored two tries against Kenya, the only tries of his test career. He was named co-captain along with DTH van der Merwe under former Canada coach Mark Anscombe for the June test series in 2017, leading out the side against the USA in the Americas 1 World Cup qualifying series.
At Rugby World Cup 2015 Beukeboom started three of Canada’s four matches forming a partnership with Jamie Cudmore. Despite his experience he was overlooked for international selection entirely in 2019 with current Canada coach Kingsley Jones omitting the veteran from the World Cup long-list.
As a professional Beukeboom had spent the past eight years in England. He signed for Plymouth Albion in 2012 and after three seasons joined the Pirates in 2015. Named club captain in 2018, he started every league game since to bring his club total to 107 appearances across all competitions.
While Brett steps away from the sport, the Beukeboom name remains active in rugby. Younger brother Matt, 23, has three test caps and has been a regular with French Pro D2 club Montauban this season. Cousin Tyson, 29, has played in two World Cups and is a fixture in Canada’s national senior women’s side.
