LIONS hooker Richard Brokenshire described the decision to hang up his rugby boots as "gutting" after a horrific ankle injury forced the 23-year-old to end his playing days.

Brokenshire, having recovered from a long-term shoulder injury, fractured and dislocated an ankle in Lions' 11-10 defeat at Cleve last month.

And the former Wimborne forward, whose ankle could require another operation when his cast comes off, admitted his playing days were all but over because he needs to put his career first.

"I doubt if I could play again," Brokenshire told the Daily Echo.

"I've had too much time off (work) with my ankle and shoulder operation.

"By the end of 2007 I will probably have had seven months off.

"I have to hang up my boots. It's not as if an insurance company will cover my shoulder or ankle to play again."

Brokenshire revealed that his boss - former Wimborne player Lee Courage - has been "a star" throughout his ordeal, but he feels he "can't keep having time off work".

"I've got to think about my long-term career," said Broken-shire. "Rugby is a hobby - it's not your income and welfare."

Brokenshire said he might consider coaching "later down the line" and he watched from the sidelines as Lions fell to their seventh straight South West One defeat at Oxford Harlequins on Saturday.

Three tries in the space of six minutes either side of half-time proved costly for Bournemouth and they never recovered the deficit.

It might have been a different story had fly-half Joe Aiono converted three kickable penalties into points, but these opportunities were missed, and tries from Sam Hardcastle and Iain Crombie failed to save the day.

Bottom-of-the-table Lions are two points adrift of nearest rivals St Ives and Reading after seven games of the South West One season.

Lions: Flynn, Bruce (Dunkerley 58), Frost, Gray, Edwards, Aiono, Hardcastle, Siaki (Wareham 40), Ulu, Manning, Kenny, Seward, Richards (Crombie 40), Cawley, Hughes.