Wasps and former France skipper Raphael Ibanez has announced his retirement from club rugby with immediate effect after taking medical advice.

The 36-year-old hooker decided to hang up his boots after consulting with club doctors following a series of complex concussions this season.

Ibanez, who joined Wasps in 2005, has won silverware in every competition since moving to Adams Park.

He was made club captain at the start of the 2008-09 season.

Ibanez, who won the Powergen Cup, Heineken Cup and Guinness Premiership while at Adams Park, suffered his initial concussion against Worcester Warriors in September 2008.

Further head injuries followed away against Leinster and at home to Sale in November.

He underwent tests while resting for two months and had begun training again but the symptoms returned.

Following a reassessment by a neurosurgeon and neurologist last week Ibanez took the decision, along with the Wasps coaches, that he should retire.

"We all agreed that to avoid a bad injury it is time for me to stop playing," Ibanez said. "I tried everything to come back onto the pitch but it is just too risky."

Ibanez began his career in his hometown of Dax before moving on to Perpignan, Castres and then to Saracens in 2003.

606: DEBATE What a fantastic servant to professional rugby Ibanez has been dammit_chris

He played 98 times for France after making his debut against Wales in 1996, and reached the World Cup final in 1999 as well as captaining the 1998 Grand Slam winning side.

Ibanez also featured in the 2002 Grand Slam winning team and helped France win the 2006 Six Nations title before leading them to victory in the competition again the following year.

He retired twice from international rugby, initially quitting following the 2003 World Cup in Australia before having a change of heart two years later.

Ibanez finally quit the international game after losing the third-place play-off against Argentina at the World Cup in his homeland in 2007.

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