Stormers lock David Meihuizen has announced an early retirement from professional rugby following the advice he got from medical specialists.
Meihuizen, 24, took to Instagram to disclose the news and express himself after the decision he took.
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“Due to circumstances out of my control and the advice of respective specialists, I will be retiring from all forms of rugby,” the 24-year-old said on Instagram.
“As a result of having many concussions over the course of my short career, I have been advised to stop playing the game in order to prevent any long-term damage to my brain. I am heartbroken,” he added.
Meihuizen played his schoolboy rugby at Paarl Boys’ High before he went on to play for University of Cape Town in the Varsity Cup. That paved the way for him to get into Western Province in 2018 before he made his debut for Stormers in 2019.
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The 2.06-metre lock made 23 appearances for WP and eight for Stormers.
Meihuizen said he will miss his teammates and rugby as a whole, but his health comes first.
“This is not a decision I take lightly, but my health needs to be my first priority.”
He expressed gratitude to Stormers for believing in him and for the time that he spent with them during what he described as a “short career”.
“I would like to thank Western Province Rugby for their faith in me as a player. And I couldn’t have picked a better union to have spent my short career at.”
