Jonno Gibbes has announced that he has retired from all rugby, due to an ongoing knee injury that has limited his game-time over the past few seasons. It's a huge loss for the Waikato region, as Gibbes has become one of their hometown favourites.

It's the second early retirement for a Waikato lock, with Keith Robinson retiring at the end of last year due to ongoing problems with his back.

Gibbes has played 68 games for his beloved Waikato Chiefs, and has captained them for the past six seasons. He has also played for the All Blacks on eight occasions - after making his debut against England in 2004 - but his lack of height (for a lock) meant his Test career never really got going.

His greatest achievement came while captaining the New Zealand Maori side to a 19-13 victory over the British Lions in 2005.

We don't think we've seen the last of Gibbes, though, as it looks like he'll take up a coaching role in the Northern Hemisphere (most likely in Ireland) which we think is a great move for him, as he is a fantastic leader who commands a lot of respect from those around him.

Good luck with the next phase of your career, Jonno - hope to see you back coaching the Chiefs one day!