Cape Town – “I have missed more family and social gatherings than I can count. I have poured my blood, sweat and tears into this game for seven years, and it was worth every second of it.”
That was how Stormers and Western Province lock David Meihuizen described his love for rugby after announcing his retirement from the game at the age of just 24 on Tuesday night.
The Paarl Boys’ High School product has been forced to stop playing due to a series of concussions.
“I am writing this to publicly announce my retirement from rugby. Due to circumstances out of my control and the advice of respective specialists, I will be retiring from all forms of rugby,” Meuhuizen posted in a note on his Instagram page on Tuesday night.
“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. I have played through torn ligaments and muscles, cracked bones and everything in between. I have woken up at 4am to drive to training sessions. Trained until I have vomited.
“I have missed more family and social gatherings than I can count. I have poured my blood, sweat and tears into this game for 7 years and it was worth every second of it.”
The second-rower, who stands at 2.06m and weighed around 125kg, had made his return to the pitch in February from a lengthy layoff due to an ankle injury.
He came on as a replacement for WP against the Sharks in Durban, and also featured for the Stormers against the Lions and Province against Griquas.
Meihuizen was courted by Scotland last year as he qualified through his mother and grandfather, but he decided to stay in Cape Town, and said that he had some memorable times for the Stormers and WP.
“I fell in love with the camaraderie, the teamwork, the technicality and complexity. Many boys dream of growing up and playing for the Stormers. I did not. Because I never thought I would. I was never the best rugby player. I wasn’t even the second or third best.
“But at the age of 18, Western Province Rugby gave a tall, skinny kid from Paarl a chance. From there, I found a home with UCT and the Ikey Tigers. Four years of my life I will cherish forever. Brothers on the Green Mile. Warrior Poets who helped shape my career and self… all the while quietly working on my rugby until 2019, at the age of 21, I received a call to tell me I would be running out for the team I had supported since I could walk.
“For the next three years, I lived out a dream I never knew I had. I had achieved more for myself than I ever thought possible and played for my childhood team. And my career was only just starting. But now I must say goodbye.
“I wish I could say something positive, like I’ll come back stronger, but I can’t. Because it’s over and this isn’t a happy ending. This isn’t something I had planned for. This is the end of my rugby career.”
Full transcript of David Meihuizen’s post on Instagram:
“I am writing this to publicly announce my retirement from rugby. Due to circumstances out of my control and the advice of respective specialists, I will be retiring from all forms of rugby.
“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. I have played through torn ligaments and muscles, cracked bones and everything in between. I have woken up at 4am to drive to training sessions. Trained until I have vomited.
“I have missed more family and social gatherings than I can count. I have poured my blood, sweat and tears into this game for 7 years and it was worth every second of it.
“I fell in love with the camaraderie, the teamwork, the technicality and complexity.
“Many boys dream of growing up and playing for the Stormers. I did not. Because I never thought I would. I was never the best rugby player. I wasn’t even the second or third best.
“But at the age of 18, Western Province Rugby gave a tall, skinny kid from Paarl a chance.
“From there, I found a home with UCT and the Ikey Tigers. 4 years of my life I will cherish forever. Brothers on the Green Mile. Warrior Poets who helped shape my career and self. All the while quietly working on my rugby until 2019, at the age of 21, I received a call to tell me I would be running out for the team I had supported since I could walk.
“For the next three years, I lived out a dream I never knew I had. I had achieved more for myself than I ever thought possible and played for my childhood team. And my career was only just starting. But now I must say goodbye.
“I wish I could say something positive, like I’ll come back stronger, but I can’t. Because it’s over and this isn’t a happy ending. This isn’t something I had planned for. This is the end of my rugby career.
“I’ve heard people say, ‘You never know if this will be your last game’. Those words have never rung truer as I won’t be able to play my ‘last’ game. I will miss this game.
“I will miss the 5am wake-up calls, the mauling sessions, the weigh-ins, the team buildings, the pre-match jitters, the post-game beers, the heavy hits, and lineout takes, the team talks, the match analysis, and the cheer of the crowd. I’ll miss it all.
“This is not a decision I take lightly, but my health needs to be my first priority. 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.
“And lastly, to the Stormers and Western Province boys. Thank you for all the seasons. The wins, losses, heartbreaks and celebrations. For the friends I’ve made, experiences I’ve had and life lessons I’ve learned. I know what this jersey means to everyone, so thank you for letting me share it with you.”
IOL Sport