White puts England in mire as he quits for the farm

His abrupt exit from the tournament eight weeks before it kicks off in France shocked team-mates at the holders' training camp in Bath and drew a sharp reaction last night from arguably England's most famous prop of the amateur era.

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"I am absolutely amazed," said Fran Cotton, ex-national captain and Lions manager. "This guy is a full-time professional rugby player. I cannot understand it.

"The family issue is a very emotional one and nobody can comment on that. Only Julian can make that call, but for a professional rugby player to give work commitments as part of the reason, I find amazing. You're invited to play for England, not when you feel like it. You can't pick and choose when you play for your country.

"Julian is one of the top tightheads in the world and we were relying on players like him to give us a really physical presence. This is a very big blow and it leaves a big hole. I can't get my mind round it. I cannot understand why he has made that call in the middle of July. It's a bit late in the day and it doesn't send out a great message to the rest of the squad."

Head coach Brian Ashton announced White's withdrawal within hours of making a final attempt to persuade the Leicester prop to change his mind.

"This is a massive blow which leaves us one prop short," said Ashton. "It's Julian's choice, his decision. I'm disappointed from a rugby point of view but, to some extent, I can understand why. He has a young family and he doesn't want to leave them for the amount of time involved.

"He's taken on a hell of a lot, farming-wise, and feels he can't make the commitment required by England. I've talked it through with him and tried to persuade him to reconsider but he had made his mind up. He's going to be playing for Leicester from the start of the new season and will be on standby for us."

White, 34, has built an enviable reputation as one of the world's most destructive scrummagers since winning the first of his 44 caps seven years ago.

He would have been an automatic for England's World Cup 30, either as the No 1 tighthead or, at the very least, as the second tighthead behind captain Phil Vickery, a role which he filled in Australia four years ago.

In a week when Liverpool and England full back Jamie Carragher announced his retirement from the international football scene, White said: "It has been a very difficult decision for me to make.

"But I have a young family and I also have a farm to manage and I feel I can't commit to the length of time the squad will be away. I wish Brian and all the England squad the very best for the World Cup."

A Devonian who played for clubs in New Zealand and Wales before making it big in England, White recently bought a sheep and cattle farm in Leicestershire. While the news came as a bolt out of the blue to the rest of the players, it can be seen in retrospect that he had been agonising over the decision for some time.

The first hint came within a week of his being named last month among a 47- strong training squad for the World Cup.

Four days later, the RFU announced White had not joined the Royal Marines exercise and would not be attending the camp in Portugal 'for personal reasons'. The assumption was that he would start preparations once the players had returned home.

His refusal to do so makes him the second English World Cup-winner to opt out.

Ben Cohen did so two months ago only days after being picked for the matches in South Africa.

He told Ashton he wished to stay at home with his wife, Abi, who is expecting twins. White, a private man, has come to a similar conclusion.

Vickery's appointment as captain would have reduced his exposure but White, a key Leicester forward in the Tigers' destruction of European champions Munster in Limerick last season, would still have had a crucial role to play.

Vickery, a Cornishman who also comes from a farming family, said: "Julian is a great player and I'm disappointed he will not be joining us but you have to respect his decision.

"He's one of the very best in world rugby and you don't replace that kind of experience. I didn't realise there were any issues but he certainly has my full support. He's always given 100 per cent and nobody can knock him for that."

Matt Stevens, the best of the young brigade but a novice compared to White, will fill the vacancy in the final 30 for the World Cup, which leaves three other props, Andrew Sheridan, Kevin Yates and Perry Freshwater, fighting for the two loosehead positions.

But England's loss is Leicester's gain.

Richard Cockerill, the club's acting head coach, said: "I didn't plan to have him around for the start of the Premiership, so this is a great bonus. Julian has done plenty for England. Now that he's in his midthirties, he wants to be at home.

"He's not the type who wants to be thinking rugby 24-7. He loves his farm, looking after the cows and sheep and building it up. We have been flexible with his training, which has kept him fresh and made him all the better for it. He has to consider his long-term availability for us and ensure that he's in physical shape for farming once he's finished playing.

"The England captain plays in his position so there could be no guarantee about playing. Maybe he felt he didn't want to be the bridesmaid again. If, for whatever reason, your heart isn't completely in it, the World Cup would have been a long three months."