France and Racing 92 star Virimi Vakatawa has had his career put on hold because of an unconfirmed medical problem.
Vakatawa was born in New Zealand but moved to Fiji as a youngster before joining Racing in 2011 and has been a key part of their squad since then.
Full support to Vakatawa
The Parisian club released a statement, saying: “Racing 92 has just been informed of the decision of the medical commission of the LNR to prohibit Virimi Vakatawa from continuing his professional rugby career in France.
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“Particularly saddened by this terrible announcement, Racing 92 gives its full support to Virimi Vakatawa and immediately put in place all the arrangements to support its emblematic player as best as possible in these particularly difficult times.”
After three years in Paris, he was eligible for the national team and first represented the Sevens side in 2014.
Vakatawa then made his France debut in the 15-a-side game in 2016 and has earned 32 caps, with his last coming during their tour to Japan.
However, the 30-year-old will now be unable to play in the Top 14 or for the national squad due to an unspecified medical issue.
The story of Christopher Tolofua
A similar situation occurred with Toulouse’s Christopher Tolofua, who was forced to move abroad after being barred from playing in France.
Tolofua then had an operation to correct the issue and duly returned to the country in 2019 to play for Toulon.
Depending on the problem, Vakatawa may therefore be able to feature for clubs outside of France.