Tommy Makinson to retire at season's end, with farewell against hometown Wigan
Tommy Makinson, the Catalans Dragons wing and former England international, has announced he will retire from rugby league at the end of the current season.
The 34-year-old shared the news via a social media post on 9 August, confirming what he had been signalling since earlier in the year — that his second campaign with the Perpignan-based club would be his last (BBC Sport).
Makinson's career is woven into the fabric of the modern Super League era. He spent 13 seasons at St Helens between 2011 and 2024, winning five Grand Finals — the match that decides the Super League champions each October — and a Challenge Cup, the sport's historic knockout competition. He earned England selection along the way and built a reputation as one of the competition's most reliable finishers out on the wing.
His final appearance is now scripted for maximum sentiment. Catalans face Wigan Warriors on Friday, 11 September, and for Makinson that means lining up against the club from his hometown. It is the kind of coincidence the fixture computer sometimes serves up, and it guarantees the occasion a layer of emotion regardless of the result.
The result, in practice, may matter less than usual for the Dragons. Their 42-20 defeat at Huddersfield Giants effectively ended any realistic hope of reaching the Super League play-offs, meaning the Wigan fixture is likely to be a farewell rather than a run-in to a title push (BBC Sport).
Makinson had been open about his retirement plans for months. As far back as February, he acknowledged that his playing career was nearing its end after two seasons in the south of France (TotalRL). By March, he was confirming publicly that this would be his last season and spoke about having his post-playing future mapped out (Love Rugby League).
What stands out is the neatness of the ending. Not every player gets to choose when the curtain falls, and fewer still get a final game against the team they grew up watching. Makinson may not have a trophy to play for in September, but he will have a stage — and a full house at Wigan is as good a backdrop as any to say goodbye.
