How soon All Black Cam Roigard expects to return from injury

Cam Roigard has been stuck on the sidelines since the sixth round of this year’s Super Rugby Pacific season after rupturing his left patella tendon. It was a devastating injury but the halfback has worked tirelessly in a bid to return, and now his comeback isn’t too far off.

Roigard has captured multiple headlines over the last couple of months as the 23-year-old continues to hit milestones on the road to recovery. The five-Test All Black squatted around 170 kilograms in the weight room and recently ran a frighteningly quick Bronco.

In an interview about 32 days ago with New Zealand’s 1News, Roigard revealed that he was targeting a return during “the backend” of the current NPC season with Counties Manukau. That was music to the ears of all rugby fans who call New Zealand home.

With the All Blacks’ end-of-year tour now just a matter of weeks away, that news was welcomed by all. But, there's since been an even more promising update with Roigard putting a date on his return, which is just around the corner.

Roigard told Hurricanes assistant coaches Cory Jane and Jamie Mackintosh that he’s looking to complete his return from injury in “the first weekend of October.” On the 5^th of October, Counties play Manawatu away at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North.

If Roigard is able to make a successful return in that match then who knows what that could mean for the All Blacks remaining Tests this year. The scrumhalf has joined the All Blacks this week in Wellington as he continues to chip away on his rehab.

But that’s not exactly a surprise.

The All Black initially said that getting a full range of motion back in his knee was the hardest part of the rehab, but when asked about that side of the recovery late in the short video, Roigard explained just how tough it is.

“I reckon that’s probably the hardest bit to get used to, the contact conditioning. Getting used to being on the ground, getting back up, repeated efforts, and then the speed and the running change of direction stuff,” Roigard said.

“That’s probably the hard bit that you forget about because you’re keen as to get back to running but it’s the other stuff, the rugby stuff, that’s been a good challenge and something that I probably didn’t appreciate how difficult it can be.”