Scott Waldrom's career may be over after he received unexpected news about his injured foot.
The Wellington and Hurricanes openside flanker had expected to have a cast on his broken foot removed on Friday, but was instead told his condition had worsened.
"It's devastating," Waldrom, 24, said.
"I thought Iwas going to get the cast off, but the specialist had bad news. The bone's not healing and the blood supply's not good. Basically the bones haven't knitted together."
Waldrom has been told that is unlikely to happen.
"It's two months more at least [with the cast on] and definitely no rugby this year. My chances of playing again are not getting any better.
"Because it's not healing it's getting quite arthritic. The bone's just crumbling right over the arch."
Waldrom has not totally given up on a return to rugby, but said he was coming to terms with the fact that was now unlikely.
"I'm starting to think about my life outside of rugby."
That means completing his papers at Massey University as he works toward a career as a primary school teacher.
Waldrom's contract under the New Zealand rugby players' collective allows for compensation in the event of "career-ending" injuries.
"At least that should keep the mortgage payments under control for a little while."
The unusual injury occurred during a warm-up while he was playing for New Zealand Maori in Canada in June last year. It was not initially diagnosed as a broken bone and progressively worsened on tour.
He missed the first six weeks of the NPC that year, but returned to make the Hurricanes squad for this year's Super 12, only for the injury to flare again.
