Wallabies prop Robinson hangs up boots due to eye injury

The popular 72-test forward suffered an accidental poke in the eye during a line-out against the ACT Brumbies in April and had developed a condition called microscopic hyphema, in which blood cells appear in front of the lens, affecting vision.

His condition was further complicated by an increase in pressure within the eye and a tear to the retina, for which he underwent surgery, the Waratahs said in a statement.

While Robinson was expected to regain full sight, he had been advised that the risk to his eye was too great to continue his career in rugby.

"To hear from a doctor that I can't do that any more is a tough pill to swallow," Robinson told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

"Rugby has been part of my life for so many years that for it to end like this is just so disappointing."

The 31-year-old said he feared he might suffer from blurred vision for the rest of his life.

"The doctors went in after surgery and found a few more issues than they initially thought," he said.

"There could be more surgeries in the future but my vision's still blurry in my right eye so that's probably potentially going to stay like that.

"But I was sitting in the office two weeks ago and I heard about a guy with a brain tumour and I've got a poke in the eye. There's worse things in life than a poke in the eye.

"I'm very fortunate, very lucky to have had such a long career but I wasn't expecting a poke in the eye to finish it.

"I was more concerned about my back and my knee."

Robinson was the third Wallabies prop to play 50 tests after Al Baxter and Ewen McKenzie, and he retires as the most capped Waratah, having played 148 Super Rugby matches.