Will Genia has called time on an incredible career, announcing via social media that he will be hanging the boots up for good.<\/p>\n
Sharing a selection of images throughout his career, from the early days with the Wallabies through to his later years in Osaka, Genia acknowledged that he was able to create \u201cmemories to last forever\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom walking into Ballymore<\/a> at the end of 2006 as a kid, to travelling the world chasing a ball, it has been more than I ever thought it would be, so much so that it feels like a dream is all it should be,\u201d the former scrum half said.<\/p>\n \u201cMoments in time, experiences shared, lessons learned and memories to last forever. Thank you to my people. It was only possible because of you. You know.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you to the teams, my teammates, coaches, teachers, friends and all the wonderful people in the game who helped me, guided me, shaped me, included me, put up with me and made me better. Thank you to the fans for making the game what it is.<\/p>\n \u201cFinally\u2026 thank you, rugby, for all the joy. It was always the game and then everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n A legend of the game<\/p>\n Born in\u00a0Papua New Guinea, Genia started his rugby journey when he moved to Brisbane as a youngster, getting to grips with the game while at boarding school. After making the Australian \u2018A\u2019 schools team and later the World Championship-winning Australian U19s, Genia was signed by the Reds and never looked back.\u00a0<\/p>\n He would spend almost the next decade at Queensland before various stints in Paris, Melbourne and, most recently, Osaka. Ending his career with 110 Wallabies caps and a lot more at club level, Genia leaves the playing circuit as a certified legend.<\/p>\n It is at the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners<\/a>, the club that Genia and Quade Cooper have most recently played their rugby, that the former Wallabies playmakers set their next venture. The two 37-year-olds have joined the coaching staff of the Japanese club, with Genia confirmed as the new skills coach while Cooper has been entrusted with running the attack.<\/p>\n Former Maori All Blacks coach Ross Filipo will also join as forwards coach, with Tai Lavea joining the Liners from Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo to lead the defence.<\/p>\n Interestingly, Springbok fly-half Manie Libbok will be coached by the duo next season, as he steps in to replace the talented Cooper in the number 10 jersey.<\/p>\n