Who is Zane Tetevano and what happened to him?
RUGBY fans were left questioning the future of one of Leeds Rhinos’ stars after a medical emergency.
Prop forward Zane Tetevano suffered a scary incident during his training for the Leeds team in early 2023, with the player later revealing he was having to undergo surgery.
Who is Zane Tetevano?
Zane Tetevano is a rugby player from New Zealand who has played for the Leeds Rhinos since 2021.
He was born on November 4, 1990, and turned 32 in 2022.
Zane played for the Newcastle Knights, Sydney Roosters and the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL).
He then moved to the UK and joined Leeds ahead of the 2021 Super League season and has gone on to make over 40 appearances for the club.
Internationally, Zane has played for the Cook Islands and New Zealand.
He has represented both teams in World Cups.
What happened to Zane Tetevano?
In 2023, Zane suffered a stroke while training with the Leeds Rhinos.
He was later diagnosed with a hole in his heart, and confirmed in June 2023 he was set to undergo heart surgery
The quick actions of Leeds’ medical team has been praised by Zane, as they saved him from more severe consequences after he suffered his stroke.
After their initial treatment, he was taken to the city’s General Infirmary for more care.
Zane has since set up a fundraising page to support the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, which supports children and adults born with congenital heart defects across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.
Will Zane Tetevano play rugby again?
Zane has revealed that he hopes to return to the rugby pitch once he has recovered from his heart surgery.
Speaking in June 2023 he said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the club’s medical staff, the paramedics, doctors and nurses who looked after me when I collapsed.
“I knew I was in the best possible care and I owe them a lot, especially our medical team, who reacted so quickly on the field, I will never know how lucky I was.
“I am confident that I will be ready to return to action as soon as I am cleared to do so.”
Leeds’ performance director Richard Hunwicks also shared his wishes for Zane’s return to the team.
Speaking about the player, he said: “Zane is one the fittest players at the club and someone for whom training is such a big part of his life.
“It is important that he continues to train to give himself the best possible chance of making a full recovery.”
The Rhinos’ head of medical services, Vas Mani, said: “We are now focusing on the next stage of his treatment and will continue to support Zane during the coming weeks.
“He has been very positive throughout this challenging time which is a testament to his character.
“We expect Zane to make a full recovery and be medically fit to return to play before the end of the season.”
It was also confirmed that Zane would continue with non-contact aerobic training to maintain his fitness while awaiting surgery.
Is Zane married and does he have children?
Zane has a partner, called Mikayla Bailey, who is from Northern Ireland.
The rugby player previously told The Sun that she played a big role in him moving to Super League.
The couple have three adorable sons together, who regularly appear on Mikayla’s Instagram page.
Their names appear to be Zarius, Zaiden and Zelan.