New Zealand rugby player Cameron Suafoa has confirmed his retirement after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis aged just 27.
Suafoa played as a blindside flanker for the Maori All Blacks before stepping back from rugby in April 2024 having been diagnosed with sarcoma in November the year before.
The 27-year-old was undergoing treatment for the condition that led to him having a rare cancerous tumour removed from his back, along with three ribs taken out and his spine shaved.
Amazingly, he was able to return to the rugby pitch just months later with North Harbour in the National Provincial Championship (NPC), but has now confirmed that he has tragically received a new terminal diagnosis.
The diagnosis came last year and he has since been told the cancer has spread and is now terminal, meaning he has decided to fully retire.
In a heartbreaking video posted on social media on Thursday, Suafoa said: "I just wanted to give you a little bit of an update on my situation. I've decided to finish playing rugby officially.
"I was told the unfortunate news that my cancer has spread, and it was terminal now. Unfortunately, I won't be playing, but I'll be going through a different type of battle soon. I start having chemo in the coming days.
“This team definitely holds a special place in my heart," Suafoa added.
"I was born and raised in Auckland, and was lucky enough to play for the Blues and be here for a few years.
"I’ve loved every minute of playing and just being in the environment, and everything about this union and this club.”
The devastating news comes after Suafoa opened up about his fight against cancer last summer, revealing he has been forced to undergo several major surgeries in recent months.
"Unfortunately, I've had to have two back operations," he told TFN.
"The first one late last year, November, I had a tumour removed from my lower back on my left side, just in my lat muscle, and I had a bit of my lat taken away, just for good measure.
"After that, I had to go through some radiation for about six weeks to really make sure that the sarcoma didn't come back.
“I had further operations just six weeks ago.
"I had three ribs removed, also my spine was shaved down, and I had to have a couple of steel rods and screws put in to stabilise my back and a bit of metalwear to replace where my ribs were, because this time the tumour was in between my ribs and growing.
“So I was on the operating table for about nine hours this time to really make sure that they had gotten everything.”
Topics: Rugby, New Zealand
Ben McCrum