All Blacks flyer thriving again after devastating Rugby World Cup injury

After a lengthy stint on the sidelines due to a troublesome injury, All Blacks and Chiefs wing Emoni Narawa is fit again and shining on attack for the Hamilton-based outfit.

The 24-year-old was one of the Chiefs’ stars during their 2023 Super Rugby Pacific campaign which saw them finish the season as runners-up to perennial champions the Crusaders.

His superb form was rewarded with a call up to New Zealand‘s squad for the Rugby Championship and he scored a try on his Test debut against Argentina in Mendoza.

Struck down by injury

He was also included in the All Blacks’ 33-man squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup but suffered a slipped in his back during a training session in the build-up to the global showpiece in France.

The disc hit a nerve which led to him losing feeling in his left leg and he saw no action at the World Cup as he flew home from France during the tournament due to his injury.

Narawa spent the next six months on the sidelines before returning to action during the Chiefs‘ Round Five Super Rugby Pacific victory over the Highlanders.

He said his long road back to full fitness is something which he does not take for granted.

“I wouldn’t say my approach to the game has been different,” Narawa told the New Zealand Herald. “I definitely appreciate it a bit more now; things can just happen like that.

“Careers can just end like that. So I’m enjoying every day, week by week.”

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Narawa admitted that when he sustained his injury, he feared that it could result in a premature end to his career as a professional rugby player.

“It just shows how quickly it could happen when you’re at the peak, then this small thing can change a whole career just like that,” he added.

Although he hasn’t regained complete feeling back in his left leg, it is not hampering Narawa, who has already caught the eye with some impressive performances for the Chiefs in 2024.

After initially making a cameo off the bench against the Highlanders, he crossed for a try upon his return to the Chiefs’ starting line-up in their loss to the Crusaders and followed that up by scoring a hat-trick in a one-sided win over Moana Pasifika last week.

‘It is what it is’

“It doesn’t really affect how I run, but it’s just not still back to 100 per cent strength-wise,” he said. “It is what it is.”

Narawa will be keen to maintain his current outstanding form when the Chiefs head to Wellington on Saturday to face the tournament’s only unbeaten side the Hurricanes.

“It will be a really good challenge for the guys this week,” he said.

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