PARIS (AP) ā Uini Atonio will inspire the props who follow him in France colors after his forced retirement from rugby because of serious heart issues, France coach Fabien GalthiĆ© said on Tuesday.
Atonio would likely have been the tighthead against Ireland on Thursday when France begins its Six Nations title defense at the Stade de France. But he suffered a heart attack last week and was hospitalized, ending a 68-cap international career.
New Zealand-born to Samoan parents, Atonio moved to France in 2011, debuted for France in 2014 and won two Six Nations including a grand slam, plus two European Cups with La Rochelle.
āThe image of Uini that we have is of someone who never gave up,ā GalthiĆ© said at the team announcement.
āI remember the very, very intense physical preparation sessions for the World Cup, focused on endurance and speed. Despite the difficulty of the work required, he never gave up. It was someone who showed the way through his behavior, always with a smile and talent."
GalthiƩ said he spoke over the phone with Atonio, who needed further surgery, and told him he hoped he could attend France's final round match against England on March 14.
āHe will inspire the two players who are currently responsible for playing in the tighthead prop position,ā GalthiĆ© added.
Dorian Aldegheri, who made three replacement appearances in the title run a year ago, has replaced Atonio at tighthead with backup from RĆ©gis Montagne.
āDorian now shows real command of the position and solid experience," GalthiĆ© said. "RĆ©gis is continuing to develop.ā
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youāre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
Youāve likely known your closest friends for years ā but when was the last time you met some… Read moreMaking Friends in Your 60s and Beyond
Alexis K. Lewis said:
Alexis K. Lewis said:
anna kuhre said:
Thank you Giselle. I made an appointment for tomorrow to welcome her new business.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.