Head injury forces veteran prop Eduard Coetzee to announce retirement – Rugby News
Aguiléra based French professional Rugby Union outfit, Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque, commonly known as Biarritz Olympique’s, 2011/12 season campaign dealt a major blow as their experienced
front row forwards’ player, Eduard Coetzee, announces his retirement from the game. Officials at the club have confirmed the news in a statement released on their website on Monday, November 14.
Officials confirmed that Coetzee has decision to retire from the game following the advice of doctors after receiving a series of blows on his head. He received three serious hit during this
season and the neurologist has termed these blows as fatal. They have communicated to him that he has already stretched himself too far and another blow might be dangerous for him.
Coetzee has expressed his disappointment on ending his career on this note. The veteran props' current contract was to the 2013 season. He said, “For me it is over as far as rugby is concerned.”
South African born Coetzee further added, “I consulted three different neurologists including two who work with the National Rugby League (NRL) and those last two and they formally forbade
me to play rugby at the highest level.”
Coetzee was born on 8 September 1979 at Pretoria. He started playing rugby in South African and made his professional Rugby debut there. He left the Southern Hemisphere to start his career
in the Northern Hemisphere by signing for Bayonne in 2005.
The 32-year-old Coetzee has not played any international games for South African national Rugby Union team but has played with many Springboks international players in both the Super Rugby
and South African provincial Rugby Union competitions.
Coetzee has represented Bulls and Sharks in the Super Rugby competitions. He remained with Sharks from 2001 to 2005 season where he made 33 appearances for them and scored five tries. He
left Sharks to join Bayonne on a two-year contract. At Bayonne, he made 52 appearances and scored 30 points.
At the end of the 2007 season, Coetzee signed with Biarritz. Until October 2, 2011, Coetzee has played 125 games for Biarritz in both domestic and European competitions. He has also scored
15 points for them.
Coetzee termed the current 2011/12 season as very hard for him as he sustained back-to-back blows on his head. Providing the details of the blows he received on his head, he recalled, “Once
against London Irish in a friendly, and then against Toulouse and Perpignan in the Top championship.”
Coetzee’s absence from the front row forwards pack will severely affect Biarritz season’s campaign. They have not announced any replacement signing for Coetzee.
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