Slater retires from representative rugby

A heart condition has forced Taranaki's Ranfurly Shield-winning captain, Andy Slater, to retire from representative rugby.

The 32-year-old said the condition was called arterial fibrillation.

"Its unpredictability means if it goes out during a game I can't function at 100 per cent," said Slater, who led Taranaki to two NPC first division semifinals and played 182 games for the province.