FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2023 - Third Place Play-Off - Argentina v England - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - October 27, 2023 England's Owen Farrell kicks a penalty goal REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo
(Reuters) - England captain Owen Farrell has no intention of fading into the background and says he will continue to play for as long as he can if he is still enjoying his rugby.
The 32-year-old flyhalf has played 112 matches for England, and led the side to a runners-up finish at the 2019 World Cup and third place at the 2023 edition in France.
“I want to play as long as I can, if I’m excited about what I am doing," the Saracens playmaker told British media at the Champions Cup launch event in London on Wednesday.
“I wouldn’t sit down and set targets, but they are in the back of my head, quietly."
Farrell, who will be 36 by the time the next World Cup begins in Australia in 2027, said he felt fortunate to play rugby for a living and did not envisage his passion for the game fizzling out.
“We’re unbelievably lucky and I’m unbelievably lucky to do something that I’m really passionate about. I don’t see that changing any time soon," he added.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
