It's been a Whizz but Robbo's off

His club career will be over long before then, the Sale captain having confirmed Sportsmail's report a fortnight ago that he will bow out from the Guinness Premiership in 10 days and from all rugby once England have finished their defence of the World Cup.

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After eight seasons in league and seven in union, Robinson has chosen to retire on his terms rather than risk it being foisted on him by staying for one campaign too many. Sale made frantic, if belated, attempts to persuade him to change his mind before their EDF Energy Cup defeat by Leicester nine days ago.

His refusal to be swayed means that he will play just twice more for the outgoing English champions, at home to Leicester this Friday and home to Bath the following Friday.

He will not be appearing in Sale's final match, away to Harlequins on April 28.

"I wanted my last game for Sale to be at home," he said. "I want to be able to say a big thank you to the supporters of this great club. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Sale Sharks but the time has come to move on to other things."

His charisma has been a major factor in transforming the Cheshire club since leaving Wigan to blaze a trail for the rest and ignore the ancient prejudices between the codes.

Despite offering free pies and pints for his debut, an English Cup tie against Coventry, barely 2,000 turned up on a chilly Sunday in late autumn at the proverbial postage stamp of a ground, Heywood Road.

Sale, long since relocated at Edgeley Park where Stockport County play second fiddle, now average almost 10,000.

Robinson, 33 in July, will explain today that his work is done and that the needs of an expanding family must come first.

He has been playing professionally longer than any other union contemporary - so long, in fact, that when he touched down in his first game for Wigan, against Hull in August 1992, the scoring pass came from Shaun Edwards, now Wasps' head coach.

Andy Farrell, for the record, began at Wigan the following year.

A World Cup winner and double Lion, Robinson has played 531 matches and scored more than 250 tries since leaving Hunslet Parkside in his native Leeds for Wigan.

Club retirement leaves him free to concentrate on his final piece of England business, starting in South Africa late next month and finishing at the World Cup when 'Billy Whizz' will whizz for the final time.