Northampton Saints' Ethan Waller and Alex Waller retire

Northampton Saints prop Alex Waller said it had been a “very humble response” since he and his brother announced their retirement.

The 34-year-old said he was hanging up his shoes on Tuesday, and his brother Ethan, 31, made a similar announcement the next day.

Together they have made a total of 494 appearances for the club, with Alex holding the club record with 370 appearances over the past 15 years.

Ethan Waller joked, “Having spent my career in his shadow, I thought maybe I should retire in his shadow, too.”

She is well known among fans and players for her passionate support of her sons.

“She'll probably need to change her Instagram account handle to 'ex-rugby mom'. We might need to form a club together to buy her a season ticket.” [Franklin’s] It’s a garden,” Alex said.

Both Alex and Ethan say they will miss running in some of the biggest stadiums and the adrenaline that comes with it.

Ethan said, “I miss the passion of the fans and the trips to Europe where we usually had a lot of fun nights.''

Alex added: “We've both been playing a lot of rugby so there's a lot of adrenaline going on. It's time for us to live a quieter life.”

Both brothers plan to change careers, with Alex working in the commercial side of the club he has played for throughout his career, while Ethan plans to work in financial services and open a barbecue school.

“I want to have fun with my kids and be that active, crazy dad,” Alex Waller said.

“We want people to know that the grumpy woodworker in the shed actually did some amazing things when he was young.”