The Racing 92 international tricolor explained on Tuesday the reasons for his ban by the National Rugby League (LNR) from continuing his career in France.
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“I woke up this morning at 8 a.m. and I knew I wouldn’t be on the pitch with my teammates.” It was a moved Virimi Vakatawa, on the verge of tears, who presented himself to the press on Tuesday, September 6 at Plessis-Robinson, the location of the Racing 92 training center. The day before, a press release from his club announced his ban from competition in France by the medical commission of the National Rugby League (LNR).
“Virimi Vakatawa will have to stop for a cardiological reason, a pathology likely to endanger him in the context of high-intensity sports practice”said Sylvain Blanchar, the doctor of Racing 92 during the press conference in the presence of the director of rugby Laurent Travers, the president of the club Jacky Lorenzetti and the coach of the XV of France Fabien Galthié. “I wanted to pay tribute to you in the name of French rugby, for all that you have given”greeted the latter, also very moved.
Laurent Travers: pic.twitter.com/Niu64l0WG1
— Racing 92 (@racing92) September 6, 2022
“He must stop his career in France for cardiological reasons (…) A cardiac anomaly had been detected before the 2019 World Cup in Japan. This anomaly, which is not linked to rugby, was monitored but it is of an evolving pathology”, added the doctor. The player had been followed as soon as the discovery of this pathology, and an evolution pushed the medical staff to seize the experts in cardiology. “In a consensual way, the opinions were not to take the risk of letting Virimi continue“, he clarified.
Virimi Vakatawa, who has 32 selections for the France team, spoke of the day yesterday, when he discovered that his destiny would change: “Rugby is my passion… The hardest moment was yesterday, in front of my teammates. It’s been very difficult to tell everyone I’ve spent time with on and off the pitch.” Tears also flowed from the side of Fabien Galthié during this press conference: “I’m quite moved. When you play high-level sport, you know that these situations can stop, but when you meet it head on, it affects a lot.”