Declared unfit for high-level sport, Rhule is “medically obliged to put an end to his career and his maritime adventure”, the club said in a statement.
“I had to do this. I haven’t really been on the pitch for two years,” said Rhule in a video released by his club.
“I’m a competitor. For me, being in a team means making a difference. So it was better for me to say stop.”
The 32-year-old, a World U20 champion, won seven caps for the Springboks in 2016, scoring one try against Argentina, before leaving Cheetahs to join Grenoble in 2018.
He moved to La Rochelle two years later and played in both of their Champions Cup final wins over Leinster in 2022, when he scored an early try, and 2023 when he played on the wing.
A starter in the Top 14 final defeat against Toulouse in 2023, Rhule then suffered a series of injuries, notably to his knee and Achilles, playing just two matches in a year and a half.
© 2025 AFP
