All Blacks' Barrett feared concussion would force him to retire

All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett said he feared he might be forced to retire due to lingering concussion symptoms following a head injury sustained in a match against Ireland in November.

The two-times world player of the year left the field after a heavy challenge in New Zealand's 29-20 loss in Dublin and did not feature in their final match of last year against France.

After nearly three months of recovery, Barrett returned to Super Rugby last week for the first time since 2020 as a second-half replacement for the Auckland Blues against the Waikato Chiefs and said he was relieved to be back.

"I'm well aware of how concussion can lead to retirement if it doesn't work out. Kane, my brother, had to give up his career because of it. I see plenty of good friends and team mates have done the same in the past," Barrett told the New Zealand Herald.

"I tried to stay positive - I'm usually a very optimistic person. I was trying to find alternative ways to get on top of things, and I did that.

"It's probably the closest I've been to retirement and I wasn't ready for it. I'm only 30, and I've still got plenty to give. Being back fit and healthy, I'm grateful to be here now and hopefully contribute well to the Blues this season."

Barrett, who made his debut for New Zealand against Ireland in 2012 and has since helped his nation to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, said his recovery period was "extremely challenging."

"The hardest thing about this one was not finding the cure," Barrett said. "That's the million-dollar question with a lot of these concussions. It was frustrating.

"Typically the December-January months are festive fun times where you decompress and spend time with friends and family. I did that, but it was annoying with a