England's World Cup-winning scrum-half Matt Dawson has announced he will retire from rugby at the end of the season.

Wasps out-half Dawson played his last Heineken Cup game against triple champions Toulouse in Le Stadium Municipal on 14 January 2006.

With 33 appearances and 76 points in the Heineken Cup to his credit, the 33-year-old has represented both London Wasps and Northampton Saints in Europe's premier club rugby tournament.

Wasps player Dawson is England's most-capped scrum-half but enjoyed limited opportunities in the recent RBS 6 Nations with Leicester's Harry Ellis playing an increasingly prominent role in the future of English rugby.