FORMER Hull KR captain Weller Hauraki has announced his retirement from rugby league.

New Zealand-born Hauraki spent the last 11 seasons in Super League after initially joining Crusaders from Parramatta in 2010 and going on to play for Leeds, Castleford, Salford and Widnes before moving to Rovers three years ago.

The back-row forward, who turns 36 next week, captained Tony Smith's team in 2020 and, although he was not offered a new contract and left the club at the end of November, he had been considering playing on.

Hauraki, who has taken a short-term job in the construction industry, says Warrington showed an interest in signing him but he has now decided to hang up his boots.

"I've had a chat with a few clubs while I've been working and all of a sudden a couple of weeks after New Year I was thinking, 'why am I going back?'," he told the Hull Daily Mail.

"I pretty much made my mind up then and told my wife that I'm not going to play anymore.

"My kids were a little bit gutted but my wife was relieved in a way because it means we can go home earlier."

Hauraki has plans to join the police force in New Zealand.