Share

Cancer survivor Lealiifano on loan to Ulster

Sydney - Cancer survivor Christian Lealiifano will continue his return to rugby with a loan spell at Irish province Ulster in the newly-reformed PRO14 competition, his Brumbies club said on Monday.

The Wallaby flyhalf, 29, who was diagnosed with leukaemia last year and had a bone marrow transplant, returned to playing last month in the Brumbies' Super Rugby quarter-final loss to the Hurricanes in Canberra.

Lealiifano, who has scored 796 points for the Brumbies, is using his Ulster playing stint to return fully to Super Rugby in 2018.

"I am looking forward to the challenge of playing for Ulster in the PRO14 on this short-term loan deal," he said.

"Having missed almost an entire season whilst recovering, I feel that it's important that I get some minutes playing competitive rugby ahead of the 2018 Super Rugby season and Ulster have provided a great environment for me to do that."

New Brumbies head coach Dan McKellar said the loan spell will benefit Lealiifano looking ahead to the next Super Rugby campaign.

"On field, it is about Christian getting an opportunity to play professional rugby for a good club in a very strong competition," McKellar said.

"Off field, it is about Christian and his family getting the chance to experience a new culture and enjoy new life experiences that he was unfortunately denied 12 months ago."

"He has trained very hard with us whilst recovering and is in excellent shape."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE