Former Australia flyhalf Bernard Foley, who earned the nickname ‘Iceman’ for nailing crucial kicks, will retire from professional ​rugby at the end of the Japanese season, ‌his team Kubota Spears said.

The 36-year-old earned the last of his 76 caps for Australia in 2022 before heading to Japan, where he ​helped the Spears to the League One title ​in 2023.

Once a rugby sevens specialist who won a ⁠Commonwealth Games silver medal at Delhi 2010, Foley booted ​a 79th minute penalty from 45 metres to seal the ​New South Wales Waratahs’ first Super Rugby title in 2014 with a 33-32 win over the Canterbury Crusaders in the final.

He attained national ​hero status the following year as Michael Cheika’s Wallabies ​reached the 2015 World Cup final in England, producing a 28-point game ‌to ⁠knock out the hosts from the pool phase before booting an 80th minute penalty to eliminate Scotland 35-34 in the quarter-finals.

Foley was also a member of Cheika’s squad for the ​ill-fated 2019 ​World Cup in ⁠Japan, where the Wallabies were knocked out in the quarter-finals.

Although he left Australian rugby for ​Japan after that World Cup, Foley earned ​a Wallabies ⁠recall under Dave Rennie in 2022 and was never far from the selection conversation in recent years whenever injuries struck ⁠Australia’s ​flyhalf stocks.

Kubota confirmed Foley’s retirement along ​with two other Spears players Japan test flanker Lappies Labuschagne and lock David ​Bulbring.

–Reuters–