France prop Uini Atonio in stable condition in intensive care after cardiac event

Key Highlights

• It is now established that he will not be able to continue his playing career.“Uini holds a special place in the history and in the heart of our Club.
• This news deeply saddens us.
• The entire Club wishes to express its unwavering and total support to him and his family during this difficult time.”Atonio has won 68 caps as a pillar of solidity for the French side since making his debut in 2014. Uini Atonio (left) helped La Rochelle to back-to-back Champions Cup crowns ()Born in New Zealand to Samoan parents, Atonio joined La Rochelle, then in the second-tier ProD2, in 2011 after being spotted at a tournament in Hong Kong. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe has since been a vital figure in the club’s rise into back-to-back Champions Cup winners under Ronan O’Gara, and has his own brand of beer brewed in the city. The prop was part of the France team that won a Six Nations grand slam in 2022.