Health concerns may end Lauaki’s career

FORMER ALL Blacks and Chiefs loose forward Sione Lauaki may have to give up rugby due to kidney and heart problems.

The 30-year-old, who played 17 tests between 2005 and 2008, has ended his season at Bayonne to begin treatment after the problems were detected during a routine medical assessment in January.

“It wasn't the best report he could have got and he's got some thinking to do over the next little while,” Craig Innes, a director at the Esportif agency that represents Lauaki, told LiveSport.

“At the end of the day, it's sport and playing footy is great, but if it means putting yourself in a spot of danger then you've really got to consider that and that's the point he's at right now.”

Innes did not know if Lauaki would ever play rugby again.

“That's yet to be decided and there are specialists looking at it at the moment, so we've just got to wait and see what happens.”

Lauaki joined French Top 14 club Clermont from the Chiefs in 2010. He played one season for them, before transferring to Bayonne last year on a three-year deal.