Wales and Scarlets lock Jake Ball has announced that he set to retire from rugby at the end of the season.

Ball began his rugby career at Western Force in Perth, before making his name at Scarlets, playing 148 times for the region.

He made his Wales debut in 2014, appearing exactly 50 times for his country, before retiring from international rugby in 2021.

Ball signed for Japanese side Green Rockets Tokatsu that same year, playing for the JLR side for four seasons, before returning to Wales and Scarlets last summer.

Ball has played 14 times for Scarlets since his return, and will appear one final time this weekend when the West Wales side take on Dragons RFC in the United Rugby Championship.

At the age of 34, injuries, combined with his business commitments, has persuaded Ball that the time is right to hang up his boots, bringing the curtain down on a career that has spanned more than a decade in Llanelli across two spells with the club.

“It feels like the right time. I’ve had a few head knocks, a couple of injuries. I think my body is telling me something, ” said Ball.

“I am glad I came back and gave it another go at the Scarlets. I’ve enjoyed being back in the environment and being a professional rugby player again and to be able to retire here, at the club where it all really started for me, makes it that much more special.

“My wife Christie and kids left through Covid, they never really had a chance to say goodbye. My kids have loved coming here to Parc y Scarlets and watching their dad play, they are desperate to come to games and have started playing themselves.

“For them to have been able to see me play and remember that is something I will treasure.”

For Wales, Ball was a part of the Grand Slam winning squad in 2019, and played for his country at two World Cups, reaching the semi-final that same year.

“The supporters here are an awesome bunch, their passion for the team is incredible and they have been amazing to me and my family,” added Ball.

“One game that stands out was in the Heineken Cup game against Harlequins at The Stoop when one of the fans ran onto the field after we won and started jumping all over me!

“There have been some incredible highs, the lead-up to winning the championship in 2017, Europe the following year, that was a special time with a special group of players. I will always remember the friendships, the people who have made my time here so memorable. I can’t thank them enough.”

Ball’s focus, post rugby, will now be on his supplement business, Veritroo.

“It has been four years in the making and It’s something I am extremely passionate about,” he explained.

“The company is going well, so I’ll be going back to Australia and running that full time. It is starting to take up a lot more of my time, it is exciting.

“Being back in Wales has allowed me to spend a lot more time with my family. I spent 10 months here on my own after Christie and the kids had flown back to Australia and then eight months in Japan when I wasn’t allowed to leave.

“Everyone has loved being back here, the boys are loving their rugby and they are big lads – who knows, if they are any good, they might be coming back!

“It is going to be sad to leave, I have spent half my life playing rugby. But it is exciting to see the young talent coming through and I’ll be keeping a close eye on the club’s progress.

“Scarlets gave me the opportunity, it is where it all started and I will forever be thankful to the club for that.”

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