Groves puts heart and soul into Scarlets move
Groves puts heart and soul into Scarlets move
Gareth Griffiths - BBC Sport Wales Fri, October 2, 2026 at 6:19 AM UTC
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Alex Groves played for Western Province and Stormers
New Scarlets lock Alex Groves will make his first start on Welsh soil on Saturday when he lines up against the Dragons in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
The fact that Groves is playing at all is remarkable considering he underwent major eight-hour heart surgery in February 2024.
There was not just a question whether he would play again. There was even concern about his survival.
"It was very scary," said Groves.
"I was confident as a young boy that I was fit and healthy and never thought anything was wrong with me.
“It was such a shock when I found out.
"It went very quickly from do I need surgery to am I still going to be playing rugby, to am I still going be alive in two years' time?"
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Coming to terms with heart diagnosis
Groves was born and brought up in Johannesburg but, aged 19, moved to join Bristol and would help England Under-20s win a Grand Slam.
As part of Bristol's pre-season preparations in 2021, Groves and his team-mates underwent cardio screenings unavailable to the public without symptoms. After the tests he was informed he had a leaky valve in his heart.
The 6ft 9in (2.06m) lock was told it was nothing abnormal, that one in four people have the issue, and that it would just need to be monitored.
In April 2022 Groves joined Sale Sharks, and during another similar heart screening he was told his situation had deteriorated.
The view of medical experts was that he would need surgery within the next five years to stop his heart from growing to a size where it would not be able to support itself.
On 5 January 2024, Groves' 23rd birthday, he was then told about the discovery of an aneurysm - an abnormal bulge in the wall of a blood vessel - that needed urgent attention.
"I remember they found the problem in August 2023 and from there it was on and off for a couple of months," said Groves.
"I had a test in December and then on my birthday the following year, I went in and saw my surgeon with my parents in Liverpool.
"Thank God my parents were in that meeting with me because I completely shut off and everything my surgeon told me from that point on I did not take in.
“It literally scared the life out of me and I didn't actually retain any information.
"I was on the car ride home back to Manchester and my parents were having to relay all the information.”
He recalled how an initial diagnosis had also been missed because of his unusual height.
"My surgeon said I could not play because they'd found an aneurysm that they'd missed," said Groves.
"That was purely down to the fact MRI machines aren't really built for six foot nine broad-shouldered people.
"I remember getting into that machine and sort of squishing up and by doing that, the extra body mass over my heart meant they missed it.
"But fortunately they found it because one wrong hit to the chest and I would've bled out in a matter of seconds because it was on my aortic artery."
Recovering from surgery and tough rehabilitation
Groves had been planning to play in a Champions Cup match for Sale against Stormers in South Africa in January but had to withdraw.
A month later he was having major surgery. He was on the operating table for eight hours.
"It was terrifying but I think it is more scary for the people closest to you," said Groves.
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"I just fell asleep and woke up. But I had my girlfriend at the time and my mum sitting in the waiting room.
“I can't imagine how hard that is."
Groves said he had been put at ease by the medics before the operation.
"I remember speaking to my anaesthetist who was a big rugby fan," recalled Groves.
"He told me the procedure they were doing was as easy as it is for me as a lock to jump in the line-out.
"It's amazing they're able to do something like that at that level of ease. I thought then I'm going to be fine.
"It's amazing how advanced things have become now.
“If I was a player in my position 10 years ago they probably wouldn't have found the problem.
"Or I would have had to retire or even sadly have passed away.”
Groves spent the next nine months recovering and praised Sale for their part in helping him return to fitness.
The South African-born forward has previously spoken about his lack of motivation during that period, and how with different heart rhythms he was sweating and out of breath just climbing up stairs.
"It was a tough rehabilitation process," said Groves.
"Sale Sharks weren't obviously familiar with the process of a patient that has to go through open heart surgery.
"So it was a tough thing for everyone.“
Groves was given the all-clear to play again in November 2024 and was loaned out to Championship side Caldy RFC.
He returned to the field in late December in a Championship match against Ealing Trailfinders, 10 months after his surgery.
“Thankfully it was a success,” said Groves.
“I've never had a problem since. It's good as new to be honest.”
Making a new home at Scarlets
Groves left Sale in 2025 and returned to South Africa where he joined the Stormers.
He had a brief period loaned to Scarlets when they went to South Africa, Groves helping the Welsh region solve a lock-injury crisis, starting against Lions and coming off the bench against Sharks.
He joined the Llanelli club permanently for the 2026-27 season and has been embraced by some Scarlets fans his family met in Johannesburg during the Lions game - those supporters are sponsoring Groves during his stay in Wales.
They also helped him with some early accommodation when Groves spent six weeks in a flat above a pub in Llanelli, with the owners helping him settle in.
Groves, who has since moved, made his competitive debut as a replacement in the 21-15 defeat against Cardiff last weekend.
And he is enjoying his time back on the field in a new environment.
"It put things into perspective," said Groves.
"It made me realise how fortunate I am to do what I love and have the family and support I have around me.
"It sort of matured me in a way at a young age. I'm just grateful to be here still doing what I love."
Source: “AOL Sports”
