Duncan Cormack has dropped a bombshell by announcing he is hanging up his boots.

The 33-year-old, with Esher for a decade and skipper for the past four seasons, last week confirmed he has played his last game for the Surrey club.

He admitted: "It was a tough decision to take but it was a combination of work and the body telling me it is time to stop.

"I have been at the club for 10 seasons and it seemed the time was right to call it a day.

"It has been a tough season on the body. I have had three MRI scans and was playing with painkillers for several months.

"Like many players, I have been playing with a degenerating knee for a few years and it was time to re-evaluate things.

"It was going to need an operation at some time, so a combination of all these things said it was time to go.

"Mike wanted me to play on for another year but, if you are going to play, you have got to give it everything, and I would have to be in the gym starting training in a week or two.

"It's a tough league and if I was going to play on, I'd want to be starting as many games as possible and that means being in top shape.

"I have had many tremendous e-mails and messages from everyone at the club and to say I will miss it is a huge understatement, because it has been a part of my life and my family's life for so long.

"But I will still be down there most games cheering them on from the touchlines with a pint."

Director of rugby Mike Schmid was quick to pay tribute to the man who led Esher in their historic first campaign in National One last season.

Schmid said: "I know Duncan has been thinking of retiring for a while but we were hoping to persuade him to carry on.

"But he has increasing job and family pressures and he felt if he couldn't give rugby 100 per cent, he didn't want to play at all.

"Obviously, it is a massive blow to the club because he has been a tremendous leader and a quality player.

"If you cut Duncan in half, he bleeds Esher colours and he is going to very difficult to replace.

"I was hoping he would be able to continue with us if we managed to give him more time off and keep him involved, but he has decided it was all or nothing."

Meanwhile Schmid has already made several new signings as he attempts to build on last season's impressive first season in National One, when Esher finished 12th.

The loss of Cormack has been eased with the signing of Colm Hannon from rivals London Welsh.

Schmid has also snapped up several other forwards to add strength in depth.

Former Glasgow Warriors number eight Shawn Renwick joins Esher after two years in South Africa.

Locks Alex Ayling and James Doherty have also been recruited, from London Welsh and Newbury respectively.

Former England U18 flanker Sam Sitcher arrives from Leeds Carnegie.

Stitcher, 21, is from Wandsworth and was keen to return to London after attending college in Yorkshire.

Schmid has also tied up a loan for London Irish scrum-half Tom Parker and expects to shortly confirm similar deals for four Harlequins players.

He will hold final talks with Quins boss Dean Richards this week.

The Esher chief added: "We hope to have four player deals with Harlequins and perhaps a couple of academy boys."