LONDON - England league great Kevin Sinfield said Wednesday he will retire from all forms of rugby at the end of the current domestic rugby union season in May.
Kevin Sinfield (C) said he was "deeply honoured" to have enjoyed a 20-year career in professional rugby
The former Leeds and England rugby league captain, who changed codes to join Rhinos' sister club Yorkshire Carnegie, who play in English rugby union's second-tier Championship, in November and had another 12 months left on his contract.
However, Sinfield told a news conference at Headingley, best known as the joint home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Leeds rugby league club, that he would retire after receiving a number of job offers.
"I have been privileged and deeply honoured to have enjoyed a 20-year career as a professional rugby player and to retire on my own terms rather than through injury is something I feel lucky to be able to do," said Sinfield, who turns 36 in September.
"I have always said that some day I will need to get a proper job and that day has now come.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the last seven months with Yorkshire Carnegie and I would like to thank the coaches, players and supporters for making me feel so welcome.
"I have always given total commitment to every team I have ever played in and, therefore, I have decided to hang up my boots at the end of this season.
"A number of opportunities have become available to me for life after rugby and I need to make the right decision for me and my family.
"However, before then we have got hopefully four massive games ahead of us, starting this Sunday against a very good Doncaster side at Headingley Carnegie."
Sinfield bowed out of the 13-man game after skippering Leeds to a domestic treble.
Yorkshire Carnegie coach Bryan Redpath said: "It has been great to have Kevin involved in our squad this season, especially for the large number of young players we have in our group."
The former Scotland scrum-half added: "He is a total professional and the example he sets is something that all young players can aspire to.
"He is a natural winner and that attitude and drive will be more important than ever for us as we head into the play-offs looking to book our return to the Aviva Premiership."
Carnegie will play local rivals Doncaster in a two-legged semi-final, with the aggregate winners progressing to the two-legged final to contest the right for promotion to the English top-flight.
In 19 seasons in league, Sinfield led Leeds to seven Grand Final victories, back-to-back Challenge Cup triumphs and three World Club Challenge titles.
He scored 3,967 points from 521 appearances for Leeds and won 40 caps for England and Great Britain, captaining his country in the 2013 World Cup.
Sinfield's career total of 4,231 points, from 569 matches, put him third in the all-time list, behind Neil Fox and Jim Sullivan.
He remains England's points-scorer and in 2012 he won the Golden Boot -- the award for the world's best rugby league player.