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La Rochelle's Raymond Rhule ruled out until 2025 – report
By Liam Heagney
Raymond Rhule’s rotten run with injury has continued, with his latest setback set to sideline him until 2025. The 31-year-old South African has been a key player in the evolution of La Rochelle with Ronan O’Gara at the helm and he was a left wing starter in their 2022 and 2003 Champions Cup final wins over Leinster.
However, a series of injuries limited him to just two appearances in the 2023/24 season and he is now poised not to play again until 2025 following an achilles injury at a club training camp in La Plagne.
La Rochelle are reportedly likely to go into the market to recruit a medical joker ahead of their new Top 14 campaign which begins on September 8 at home to Toulon.
A report on sudouest.fr read: “Usually so cheerful, Raymond Rhule is once again the victim of terrible bad luck. As indicated by the Rugby Prime website on August 18, the Maritime three-quarter injured his achilles tendon during the La Rochelle training camp in La Plagne.
“This happened during the first training session in the Alps and should, according to our information, result in an absence of four to five months for the South African. The blow is all the harder as he had already suffered several injuries last season and had only played two matches, in Perpignan in February and in Castres in April.
“La Rochelle, who are banking on a reduced number of professional contracts, will therefore continue to bet on its training but is not closing the door to a medical joker.”
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Latest Comments
Nah hes a journeyman. Right call
Go to commentsAgreed for the most part. And perhaps Dmac needed a period were he is the 'Hobson's choice' too.
Yes and no, they main concern I had from the situation is Razor didn't really explain why they had developed differing opinions, had he? I've seen too many things happen in life to jump the gun. Fall all we know it was a locked in choice before they found the difference last year and played out this year to see if they were recoverable. I can certainly see where it would be a valid criticism to suggest he spent too much time reviewing his players tripping overseas and not enough work with his team at that time. But things like Tony Brown not even being contacted in the lead up to the naming of the squad are endemic in the union, and for much just as much blame should be laid on someone like Wayne Smith. Some like Mitch would have been aval at the same time too I'd think.
Ultimately I see MacDs time at the Blues much as I saw Ian Fosters time at the Chiefs. Heavily overshadowed by their successors but you could find something good in there if you wanted. Same here. This will play out.
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