Blues loose forward Cameron Suafoa is stepping back from rugby after a recurrence of a rare form of cancer led to him having surgery last week.
In a statement posted to his social media channels on Saturday night, the 27-year-old said: “In March this year, I got the news nobody wants to hear, that my sarcoma is back.
“This last week, I’ve undergone a massive surgery to resect [remove] another tumour and gained some metalware in the process.
“Rugby is once again on the back burner for me this year,” he added, saying he would continue backing the Blues and North Harbour, his province.
Suafoa was first diagnosed with cancer in November 2023, when he was found to have a high-grade sarcoma of the connective tissue on his back.