Former All Black winger Jonah Lomu has decided to pull out of domestic rugby for the rest of the year, his manager said today.
The 28-year-old, who is undergoing dialysis treatment for a rare kidney ailment, played just one half of a pre-season match for Wellington in the National Provincial Championship and has struggled to train with his team because of pain in his calf muscles and feet.
"The dialysis treatment is going well, but the veins in his feet are struggling to cope with the blood flow," his manager, Kingsley Jones, said.
"That, in turn, has resulted in nerve problems in his feet and often means he has no feeling there. It has also resulted in calf muscle problems."
Jones said that Lomu would use the rest of the year to regain fitness for next season's Hurricanes Super 12 campaign.
Lomu was left out of the New Zealand squad for the World Cup which starts in Australia next month.
Meanwhile, Agustin Pichot has been appointed Argentina captain for the Rugby World Cup.