England captain Lewis Moody has retired from international duty following his team's limp exit from the 2011 Rugby World Cup.Moody, 33, made his international debut in 2001, going on to win 71 caps for his country.

The flanker was part of the England team that won the World Cup in 2003 and lost in the final to South Africa four years later.

Moody took over the captaincy in 2010, but oversaw a disappointing 2011 World Cup campaign in New Zealand, where England scraped out of the pool stages before losing to France in the quarter-finals.

"I realised I might be making this decision before the World Cup started," Moody said.

"It's a big decision to make and I feel emotional about making it, but it's the right thing to do for me and for the England rugby squad."

"My time with England has been unbelievable, even if the last few weeks have not gone so well."

"It's only right for the team to move on."

"There will be changes, maybe in management and definitely in some of the match-day 22, and if England want to start planning for a successful World Cup here in four years' time, then it is my belief that they should be appointing a new captain from February to see the team right the way through to 2015."

England attracted attention for the wrong reasons during the tournament, starting when stand-in skipper Mike Tindall and other players were pictured drunk at dwarf-themed night in a Queenstown bar.

Three players then offered public apologies after it was revealed they made lewd comments to a Dunedin hotel worker.

And even after the team was knocked out, centre Manu Tuilagi was cautioned by police for jumping off an Auckland ferry and swimming ashore following a day trip.

Moody acknowledged the behaviour of some of the squad was far from ideal as England struggled to make an impact on the field.

"I have to take some of the responsibility because, as England captain, it was under my watch," he said.

"I concede that some of the behaviour was at best naive and at worst totally unacceptable."

"It is impossible to say how much of an impact the stories had on our performances, but clearly they didn't help."

"It was obviously very frustrating."

"Whatever the rights and wrongs, it was my job to protect a squad who had designs on becoming world champions, and that meant keeping us together in the face of increasing criticism."

Inside centre Toby Flood and flankers Tom Croft and Tom Wood are likely to be in contention to replace Moody.

Hooker Dylan Hartley holds a leadership position with Northampton, but his part in the incident with the Dunedin hotel worker may count against him.