By Elliott Josypenko
February 1 2005

Pertemps Bees hooker Rob Merrit has announced that he will retire from senior rugby at the end of the current season.
The 32-year-old is in his third season with Pertemps Bees having moved from Stourbridge in 2002. He previously played for Bromsgrove - his hometown club - Coventry and Nottingham and he was capped by England Colts five times in 1991.
Orginally a prop Merritt successfully converted to hooker during his first of two spells with Stourbridge and was Pertemps Bees' first choice in that position until Matt Miles arrived from Northampton during the summer.
Merritt was in the Pertemps Bees side that stunned the rugby world last February when they defeated Zurich Premiership champions London Wasps 28-24 in the quarter-finals of the Powergen Cup. He was also in the starting line-up for the semi-final defeat at Newcastle Falcons.
"I have had a good career and three thoroughly enjoyable season at Pertemps Bees but I am struggling to do the extra training that is needed away from our Tuesday and Thursday squad sessions," Merritt said.
"I also need to be at work on Saturday mornings but, with the amount of travelling we have to do, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make that commitment.
"So I have decided to retire from senior rugby at the end of the season. I hope to be able to carry on playing at a slightly less demanding level with Bromsgrove where my career began."