Ex-Ireland lock Dan Tuohy says the arm fracture which forced him to quit rugby left him struggling to do basic tasks such as shaving and cutting his food.

Tuohy, 34, broke the humerus bone in his left arm last September while playing for French club Vannes and announced his retirement two weeks ago.

After undergoing surgery, he had no wrist or hand function in his left hand until the Christmas period.

"You do feel partly disabled to be fair," said 11-times Ireland cap Tuohy.

Thankfully, Tuohy's injury has continued to improve over the last two months and he is optimistic he will have "full function of my hand before long".

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Sportsound Extra Time, the Bristol-born player added: "I'm going bald so I cut my own hair but I couldn't cut my own hair with my left hand because I couldn't hold the razor.

"So I was missing a big patch on the back of my head that my wife had to do.

"I couldn't hold a fork in my left hand and cut my food properly. It's just silly stuff that you don't think of.

"But I've seen horrific nerve damage that some people have suffered so in the grand scheme of things, what I have is not too bad."

'Rugby rotten from the core'

Tuohy's retirement announcement in a lengthy social media post two weeks ago generated headlines with his description of rugby as being "rotten from the core".

The former Ireland player says he was primarily referring to the reduction in financial support to English Championship clubs from the Rugby Football Union when he made the comment.

Tuohy was a product of Weston-super-Mare RFC's youth system and had spells at Gloucester and Exeter before signing for Ulster in 2009.

The second-row also played at Leicester Tigers on loan from Bristol before signing a short-term deal with Stade Francais in 2018.

"It's starting to look as though rugby is all for the top echelon and not a great deal for underneath it," added Tuohy.

"The England players are reported to be paid £25,000 a game win, lose or draw.

"Fair play to them for negotiating that contract but if that's leaving the RFU short and they are having to cut the money to other leagues, that doesn't really seem fair to me.

"Fifty per cent of that England team actually plied their trade in the championship."