St Helens Grand Final winner announces retirement due to injury

Four-time Super League Grand Final winner Kyle Amor has brought down the curtain on a stellar career in Rugby League, with the majority of his triumphs coming during a spell at all-conquering St Helens.

The 35-year-old Whitehaven-born powerhouse forward joined Saints in the 2014 season from Wakefield Trinity for £50,000 and went on to lift Grand Final and Challenge Cup honours and also represented Ireland at international level.

He joined Championship club Widnes Vikings at the beginning of this season after more than 200 appearances for Saints and spells at Whitehaven, Leeds, and Wakefield, but injury has forced him to hang up his boots prematurely.

Widnes head of operations, Chris Hamilton, said: “Kyle has been struggling with shoulder and knee injuries and has been finding it increasingly hard to overcome them whilst meeting the needs of his Widnes commitments.

“He has sat down with me and coach John Kear and we have decided this is the right thing to do for both the club and Kyle himself.

“Kyle has been at the top level of the game for a long time and, of course, it is disappointing for his playing career to end this way, but we thank him for his efforts on behalf of the club and wish him well for the future.”

Amor added: “I would like to thank everyone involved at Widnes Vikings for welcoming me into this great club and thank them for their understanding and support.

“Unfortunately, in recent months I have found it incredibly difficult to manage my injuries and meet the demands of playing rugby at this level.

“After much deliberation, I have made the difficult decision to retire from the sport that I love. This is a decision that has not come lightly but I feel it is the right thing to do."

No doubts his thoughts will go to every club he has had the honour of representing.