Vakatawa reveals heart condition; forced to hang his boots

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Fijian Virimi Vakatawa in action for France at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Picture: TELEGRAPH

Fiji-born France rugby centre Virimi Vakatawa has revealed that he has a heart condition that has forced him to retire from the game.

The Naluwai, Naitasiri man made the announcement during a press conference attended by France coach Fabien Galthié last night.

Vakatawa, 30, said: “Rugby is my passion. The hardest moment of all of this was yesterday in front of my teammates. It was very difficult to tell all those with whom I’d spent time both on and off the field.”

The 31 Test international arrived in France in 2010 and represented both Racing 92 and the France 7s team.

Racing 92’s club doctor Sylvain Blanchard said that a “cardiological anomaly” had been found in 2019 “just before the Rugby World Cup in Japan”.

It had been monitored closely by the Parisian club’s medical team but its “pathology had evolved” since.

 

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