Brumbies to honour Ita Vaea after shock retirement
Tuesday 12 April 2016 15:39, UK
The Brumbies will honour the contribution of bustling forward Ita Vaea later this season after the 27-year-old was forced to retire from rugby for health reasons.
Vaea announced his retirement on Monday after medical advice following a heart condition that caused life-threatening blood clots.
The Brumbies said they would honour Vaea's 48 matches for the club at a home game later this season, while they also used their website to post several messages from fellow players about his decision to retire.
Vaea was forced out of rugby for two seasons following initial treatment for blood clots in 2012 and placed on blood-thinning medication.
He returned to the Brumbies in 2015 and was a standout player in Australia's national club championship last year for the Canberra-based Vikings team.
"Coming back from this last time was something I never thought I could achieve," Vaea said in announcing his retirement.
"I am so blessed that I was given a second opportunity. Now I have to concentrate on the next chapter in my life."
He was forced off the field in the Brumbies' game against the Chiefs earlier this month and was told by doctors to retire.
Vaea had moved into national contention and was invited by coach Michael Cheika to the Wallabies first training camp of the season in Sydney.
Live Super Rugby
The Tonga-born Vaea's life-long dream had been to play for the Australian national side, his former secondary school coach in New Zealand said on Tuesday.
"He always wanted to be a professional player and had ambition to play for Australia," said Nelson College master of rugby Peter Grigg.
"I was trying to push him to commit to New Zealand or Tonga but he always wanted to commit to Australia because he had family over there.
"He's probably one of the very best we've seen come through (the school). It's a shame, especially for such a young guy with a promising career."
