Former England scrum-half Ben Youngs has revealed he had heart surgery this year after collapsing during an open training session with Leicester Tigers.
The 34-year-old, who is England’s most capped player, has been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat., Out And it’s abnormally fast, Out Heartbeat.
Youngs underwent surgery following the incident at Welford Road but said he was hopeful he would be fully fit for the new Premiership season, which begins in September.
“I was joking on the podcast the other day, I was doing an open training session in Leicester and I said I was doing some fitness and I basically collapsed,” Youngs told the For The Love Of Rugby podcast, which he co-hosts with Tigers team-mate Dan Cole.
“Well, I didn’t collapse, but my heart was pounding and the rain was hitting my face so I had to stop and lie down. I turned my head to the side and looked at the 30 fans packed into the main stand at Leicester.
“And I thought, ‘This is it, this is what I have to do.’
“I’ve basically had a few episodes like this, and I’ve had them my whole life. They can happen naturally at any stage in your life or career. So I’ve had them my whole life, without even knowing it.”
Youngs went on to make 127 appearances for the national team before retiring after the 2023 World Cup.
He added: “The club was amazing, as they often are when something like this happens. They got tested the first time it happened, (and) it happened the second time.
“I’m getting better, I’m recovering, I’ll be fine for the start of the season.
“I’m not going to suffer right now because my success rate is 90%. My tickers should all be fine and I’m not going to go crazy because it suddenly starts working.”
