Rory Jennings, the Cardiff Rugby back, has announced his retirement from professional rugby at the age of 30. The former England U20 international was among 11 players confirmed to leave Cardiff Arms Park at the end of last season, having made 26 appearances for Corniel van Zyl's side since moving to the capital ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Jennings has now confirmed that Cardiff was the 10th and final club of his professional career, as he focuses on starting a new chapter away from rugby. He will continue to play semi-professional rugby, having joined Rosslyn Park FC in London.
Announcement and New Role
Announcing his decision, Jennings said he has spent the last 18 months preparing to transition into working in the City and corporate world. "After 12 fantastic years, I'm stepping away from full-time professional rugby and my time with Cardiff Rugby," the centre wrote. "It's been an incredible journey—from Bath, Clermont-Auvergne, Newcastle and London Irish through to Cardiff – and I'm deeply grateful for every match, teammate, and lesson along the way."
"I haven't hung up the boots entirely, though. I've joined Rosslyn Park Football Club, which lets me keep scratching that competitive itch on training nights alongside a brilliant group of lads," he added.
Transition to Corporate World
Confirming his next move, Jennings said: "Now, the main focus is stepping headfirst into the next chapter of my career off the field. Over the past 18 months, I've been actively preparing for my transition into the City and corporate world – meeting some fantastic people across institutional sales, re/insurance, real estate, energy broking, private equity, and commodities (amongst others)."
"Transitioning out of elite sport isn't about leaving those years and skills behind; it's about finding the right environment to apply them. After 12 years of high-pressure, results-based environments, I'm eager to showcase how those skills transfer into the commercial world."
Career Highlights
Jennings' career started in the Bath academy and he had spells in the Championship with Jersey, Rotherham Titans, London Scottish and Coventry. He represented London Irish and Newcastle in PREM Rugby, while he was also contracted by Leicester Tigers and spent time in France with Clermont in the 2020/21 season.
The Englishman became a popular member of the squad at Cardiff following his move from Newcastle in the summer of 2024, with head coach van Zyl paying tribute to him following his departure at the end of last season. "Rory came in two seasons ago and has done a great job, providing some more experience in our midfield," he said. "He has been an important player for us. He is a great influence within the group and helped develop the younger generation players. He understands the game very well and has enjoyed some good performance on pitch while also offered so much off pitch."
