The Emirates Lions were hit by a massive blow as one of their most promising stars - prop Rhynardt Rijnsburger was forced to retire from all rugby at the age of 22.
Rijnsburger, who has played eight international franchise games for the Lions in both the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and EPCR Challenge Cup, was one of the young guns that the Lions were slowly bringing through the ranks and had a big future ahead of him.
The former Boishaai prop was advised by doctors not to continue with rugby after an incident on a flight from Scotland late last year.
“I experienced a DVT (Deep vein thrombosis) while on the flight to Scotland for our first tour of the season in October last year. It’s basically a blood clot in the calf,” Rijnsburger said in a statement released by the Lions.
“The decision to call it quits was purely medical. If I could, I would still want to play but unfortunately the doctors felt it was safer for me not to continue as the condition could be life-threatening.”
Rijnsburger said he had made peace with the decision, even though it was disappointing, but would treasure his memories at the Lions.
“I had so many special moments during my time at the Lions. Certainly, one of the most blessed years I could have asked for. A standout moment for me was my first four-week tour with the squad roughly a year ago. I was fortunate enough to make my debut against Stade Francais in the EPCR Challenge Cup in Paris. It was certainly one of the highlights of my life so far.
“Having the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the legends within the Lions squad was immense for me as a young player. I will always cherish those times and opportunities provided to me by the management team to be part of something special.”
Rijnsburger will now concentrate on a career in finance, after completing his accounting degree.
“Before joining the Lions in 2022, I had completed my accounting degree, so my plan now is to pursue a career in the financial field or at least attempt to get into my articles and hopefully try my luck in the corporate world,” he concluded.
Ironically his last game was the Lions’ last visit to Pretoria where they shocked the Vodacom Bulls - their opposition this weekend and it is likely the team will want to perform as a tribute to the young prop.