After playing for Moseley and Worcester Warriors, Blaze joined Tigers in the summer of 2007 and made his debut in a victory at Bristol on the opening day of the 2007/08 season.
An England age-group international at Under-19 and Under-21 level, he joined the England Saxons squad in 2007, playing in the victorious Churchill Cup campaign.
Blaze ended his first season at Welford Road with an appearance in the 2008 Guinness Premiership Final and won a second Churchill Cup with the Saxons that summer.
A stress fracture of the foot counted him out of much of the 2008/09 season but Blaze returned for the start of 2009/10, training with the senior England squad ahead of the autumn internationals before the injury struck again.
He made his final playing appearance for Tigers at London Irish in October 2009.
Blaze said: “It’s a massively disappointing moment when you get to the stage where you have to say you cannot play again. I’ve enjoyed my rugby through schools and age-groups, then into the professional game and I was really looking to push on when I came to Leicester.
“I’ve worked hard to come back from the injury but in the end I’ve been advised that the stress fracture is not going to stand up to the demands of a full-time career and reluctantly announced my retirement.
“I love the game of rugby and I’d like to thank the medical staff and the strength and conditioning staff, especially Julie Hayton and Andy Shelton, for their help at Leicester and for their great support. But now I will have to move on and make decisions about my future.
“I wish everyone at Tigers all the best for the rest of the season and hope they can enjoy some success.”
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “It’s extremely disappointing when a player has to retire prematurely, especially so young. We signed Richard because he was a young player we could see developing well within our environment and he made a good impression here on and off the field.
“It is a great pity that injuries stood in his way and we all feel for him now that he is unable to continue. He is a big loss to Leicester Tigers and also to England as he has been brought through the international ranks from the age-groups to the verge of the senior squad.
“On behalf of everyone at Leicester Tigers, I’d like to wish him well for the future.”
