Wales centre George North said on Thursday that he ruptured his Achilles tendon in his final game for the country in their Six Nations defeat by Italy last weekend.

North had already announced that he was retiring from internationals. His 121st cap ended in a 24-21 loss in Cardiff and the wooden spoon for Wales as he limped off late on.

"Not everyone gets the fairy tale ending. A ruptured Achilles wasn't the way I wanted to bow out of international rugby," North posted on social media platform X.

"Still I have loved every second. Can't thank everyone enough for the support and kind messages. On the recovery train now."

The 31-year-old has been at Ospreys since 2018 but is unlikely to feature for the club again before joining French second-tier side Provence at the end of this season. REUTERS