Alex Groves details heart-surgery recovery after permanent Scarlets move

Scarlets lock Alex Groves has described how major heart surgery interrupted his rugby career before he returned to the field and secured a permanent move to the Welsh club. In an interview reported by BBC Sport Wales, the South African-born forward reflected on an eight-hour operation in February 2024 and the rehabilitation that followed. He has joined Scarlets for the 2026-27 season after an earlier loan spell.

Groves grew up in Johannesburg and moved to Bristol at 19, later helping England Under-20s win a Grand Slam. BBC Sport Wales reported that a heart screening during Bristol's 2021 pre-season preparations identified a leaking valve that initially required monitoring. After his move to Sale Sharks in April 2022, further examinations showed deterioration, with medical specialists advising that surgery would be needed within five years.

The situation became more urgent when Groves was told on his 23rd birthday, 5 January 2024, that an aneurysm had been discovered. His parents accompanied him to the meeting with his surgeon in Liverpool. Groves told the BBC he was so frightened that he struggled to absorb the explanation and relied on his parents to repeat it during the journey home. He withdrew from a planned Champions Cup appearance against Stormers before undergoing surgery the following month.

Recovery kept him away from rugby for nine months. Groves credited Sale with helping him through a difficult rehabilitation process that was unfamiliar territory for both player and club. He received clearance to play again in November 2024 and went on loan to Championship side Caldy. His return came against Ealing Trailfinders in late December, 10 months after the operation.

Groves left Sale in 2025 and returned to South Africa to join Stormers. A subsequent loan to Scarlets helped cover injuries among their locks: he started against Lions and appeared from the bench against Sharks. The arrangement was followed by his permanent switch to Llanelli. Supporters who met his family in Johannesburg during the Lions match have since sponsored him and helped with accommodation as he settled in Wales.

His latest appearance came from the bench in Scarlets' 21-15 defeat by Cardiff last weekend. Reflecting on the experience, Groves told BBC Sport Wales that surgery had changed his perspective, deepening his appreciation for his family, the support around him and the opportunity to continue playing rugby.