Former Scotland captain Budge Pountney has retired from Test rugby with immediate effect after walking out on a national training session.

The Northampton flanker told the Scottish Rugby Union he will not be available for the Six Nations Championship, launching a scathing attack on the Murrayfield organisation.

The 29-year-old said he needed "time away from the international game" after complaining of the "unprofessionalism" of the SRU.

His outburst follows an horrific injury recently which caused him to reassess his approach to rugby.

Scotland coach Ian McGeechan has reluctantly accepted Pountney's decision to quit.

"Budge has given tremendous, unstinting service to the Scotland team - and I want to place on record the appreciation of everyone at Murrayfield for his commitment," he said.

Pountney underwent surgery a fortnight ago to remove a damaged testicle after being kicked in the groin playing for Northampton against London Irish on 4 January.

Players work very hard to be the best they can be, but get treated like second-class citizens by the SRU Budge Pountney

He was informed the testicle was unable to fulfil its reproductive role, and that any new injury to the other one would leave him unable to father children.

But his disgust with Scottish rugby's governing body has seen him quit the Test arena, possibly for good.

"I'm slogging my guts out, prepared to take risks, and so are all the players involved with the Scotland and Scotland A squads, but people around us couldn't care less," Pountney told The Scotsman newspaper.

Pountney revealed he has received regular demands for �7.50 from the SRU after giving his Scotland tie to a young boy after a defeat to New Zealand.

"Him and his dad were both a bit upset that we'd lost, and I just felt it might help cheer him up. It did, but the SRU just don't see that," he said.

Pountney was also angered by a fax the SRU sent to the players' hotel after they beat South Africa in November stating there was to be no bar tab left for the players.

Victory over South Africa was a notable win

"People might say fair enough, players shouldn't have a drink, but this was the first time we'd beaten the Springboks in 33 years and the guys just wanted to celebrate.

"We'd slogged hard for that, stuck to the task well and made history for Scottish rugby," he said.

"Our manager Dougie Morgan was appalled as well and he offered all the guys a drink on him.

"That was after some assistant coaches had been out drinking the night before the South Africa game, in the nightclub across from the hotel."

The last straw for Pountney came on Monday when he said there was no water available for the players at training.

He added: "I told (head coach) Ian McGeechan I'd had enough and he knew there was nothing he could say to change my mind."

The Southampton-born player will continue to play for his club, but looks to have played his last game for his adopted country.