Hipkiss came up through the Tigers Academy and famously scored the winning try in the 2010 Premiership Final.
In all he made 131 appearances for Tigers and was capped 13 times for England, including an appearance in the 2007 World Cup Final.
He moved to Bath Rugby in 2011, where he made a further 28 appearances but after injuring his shoulder in January Hipkiss has been forced to hang up his boots.
“This is obviously a really sad time for me," Hipkiss said. "But the decision has really been taken out of my hands which has made it a little bit easier. It’s not the way anyone wants to leave the game, but when the doctor tells you it’s time you have to listen to them.”
“Looking back, I’ve had a great career, and would like to thank Sam Vesty and Lewis Moody, who I’ve played with for pretty much the whole time I’ve been in rugby. I’d also like to thank Paddy Howard and Darryl Gibson, who have given me a huge amount of support.”
“Finally, the biggest thank you goes to my girlfriend and family for putting up with me – it’s not always easy, but the support from them throughout my career has been amazing.”
