Canadian rugby stalwart John Moonlight retires
Well-rounded 7s captain to begin firefighting career in hometown
John Moonlight, a mainstay of Canadian rugby since 2009, has retired from the sport.
The physically imposing forward served as captain of the sevens team, helping guide Canada to gold medals at the 2011 and 2015 Pan American Games as well as the country's first win on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series last year in Singapore.
"I don't think there's ever a good time to retire, there's always going to be something you're looking forward to," Moonlight told CBC Sports in announcing his retirement on Tuesday. "I've done a lot in rugby and … I think it's time for me to hang 'em up and focus on this next part of life."
For Moonlight, that next phase involves driving from Victoria back to his hometown of Pickering, Ont., to become a firefighter — something he's been working toward for about three years. "I'm going to be serving the community that supported me for so long," Moonlight said.
"For years I've always been entertaining people, my job has been to put a show on for people and make them enjoy the sport. Finally I get to actually give back in a way that I'm doing something substantial for the community."
Moonlight boasts an impressive rugby resume, including 116 tries scored — second all-time by a Canadian — over a Canadian-record 318 matches played over 65 tournaments on the Sevens Series. He was also a well-rounded player, recording 311 tackles over the course of his career.
"One of the greats in my book," sevens head coach Damian McGrath said.
NEWS: One of Canada's all-time greats, <a href="https://twitter.com/jmoonlight12?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jmoonlight12</a>, has announced his retirement from rugby after accepting a firefighting position in his hometown of Pickering, ON. On behalf of the entire rugby community we'd like to wish him all the best! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThankYouMooner?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThankYouMooner</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldRugby7s?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WorldRugby7s</a> <a href="https://t.co/FFJqUrnRCi">pic.twitter.com/FFJqUrnRCi</a>
—@RugbyCanadaThe 30-year-old also played for the 15s national team, scoring three tries in 24 appearances and was featured on the 2015 Rugby World Cup squad.
"Pickering Fire couldn't have hired a better guy for the job," longtime teammate Nathan Hirayama said. "They're really, really lucky to have [him], just like we were really, really lucky to have [him] for so many years."
The Canadian team, currently ranked 11th in the world, is in Singapore this week to defend its title from last year. They'll face Argentina, South Africa and Samoa in pool play beginning on April 27. CBC Sports will live stream the event.
"John's dedication, commitment and passion for the game of rugby has been unrivalled over the last decade and there's very few places in the rugby world where the name Moonlight isn't well known and respected," Rugby Canada CEO Allen Vansen said.
"The Canadian rugby community is forever grateful for [his] contribution."