Cam Roigard Recounts Dislocated Kneecap Injury and Recovery Journey

Roigard is traveling to London for the third consecutive autumn, having participated in a New Zealand XV that faced the Barbarians in 2022 and the All Blacks’ friendly loss against South Africa in 2023. The upcoming Autumn Nations Series match between England and New Zealand is scheduled for Saturday, 2 November, with a kick-off at 15:10 GMT, at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. Coverage will be available via live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. It is an alarming experience to dislocate one’s kneecap. While it does not typically feature on the standard ‘wallet-phone-keys’ inventory, the inability to locate a patella quickly escalates into an urgent issue. On 30 March, Cam Roigard observed his leg and experienced apprehension. “Initially I thought it was someone’s knee hitting mine – it felt like a big stinger,” he tells BBC Sport.“But when I was on the ground, I could see my kneecap was not where it was supposed to be.” Roigard, who was displaying excellent form for the Hurricanes and was the presumed successor to the All Black nine jersey, was brought down by Highlanders’ James Arscott. The impact itself was unremarkable, but a combination of twisting and strain caused a rupture to Roigard’s patella tendon. “I knew it was pretty bad,” adds Roigard. The Hurricanes secured victory in 12 of their 14 regular-season Super Rugby games, but were defeated in the semi-final stage. The injury certainly occurred at an inopportune moment. With All Black great Aaron Smith retiring after last year’s World Cup, new coach Scott Robertson establishing himself, and Roigard having excelled during the Super Rugby season, the 23-year-old was widely considered to be New Zealand’s new first-choice scrum-half. However, in a talent pool of such immense depth, a period away from the team environment can quickly lead to being overlooked. Required to recuperate for a couple of weeks after undergoing surgery and recovery, Roigard contemplated a medical forecast of at least six months out. “I wouldn’t say I got into a hole, but I guess there are times you feel sorry for yourself, especially early doors after my operation,” he says. But Roigard did not allow self-pity to persist. As a child characterized by being small and slow, he had to hone his abilities to compensate for the difference compared to more naturally gifted players. As a developing adolescent talent, his regional talent scouts in Waikato still expressed reservations, believing Roigard had already reached the limit of his capabilities and prime. Each time, he intensified his efforts. He relocated, departing his residence to pursue an alternative route and exerting greater effort, in steel mills and on building sites, as well as on the pitch, to refute their assessments. “When I was really young, I was the smallest,” he remembers. “I got told pretty early on that I needed to learn to pass off both hands because I wasn’t big enough to run through everyone and wasn’t fast enough to either.“So having a good skillset was what I thought would set me apart from other kids. That was what I prided myself on, along with my fitness.“There were certain talent identification people in my home region saying I wasn’t going to get any better when I was 17.“Those decision and opinions can have a big influence on young kids’ careers, but I was able to push that aside.” Roigard, consistently undersized and slender for his age for a long time, was not included in New Zealand’s age-grade pathway. Now 6ft, 13st, strong, with exceptional speed, Roigard has decisively proven his detractors incorrect. He scored a remarkable 70-meter individual try on his last visit to Twickenham – a World Cup warm-up defeat by South Africa – and excelled throughout the pool stages in France with three evasive tries in as many games. And now, following his recuperation, Roigard is convinced of his improved performance. “Having a lot of time off the field, was a chance to work on some running mechanics – doing drills as I was getting my range back – and that has integrated into my sprint,” he says.“My technique is better and I’m more efficient at pace, and in the gym a lot stronger in the upper body.” Beyond his verbal assertions, his statistics corroborate this. His peak sprint speed and bench press results exceed his pre-injury measurements. His Bronco time – a shuttle-run fitness test – is nearing the four minutes 12 seconds he ran to match Beauden Barrett’s All Black all-time record back in January. As he evaded Japanese tackles to return to Test rugby with a try last weekend, it was also evident firsthand. Roigard made a try-scoring comeback for the All Blacks’ in their 64-19 win over Japan last weekend. Roigard’s interests extend beyond rugby, though. He had two passions during his youth. His father, Dave, competed in car races on speedway’s dirt track circuit. His brother, Stefan, continues to do so. And in 2019, an 18-year-old Cam achieved second place in the national championships in the saloon category. As his rugby career accelerated, his motorsport pursuits diminished. But Roigard believes certain abilities have transferred. “When you are racing, you have to look ahead, not just at what is in front of you on the nose of your car,” Roigard says.“There is the peripheral vision, understanding where people are around you, in terms of support and opposition, so you can make good instinctive decisions. You have to be anticipating gaps.“Not hesitating is something that has transferred over. I like to think that if I take a gap on the race track, it is in the same way I would on the pitch trying to create a line break.” Roigard experienced an initial setback in the demanding environment of Test rugby, but, recovered and refined, he looks set to achieve unimpeded progress. His competitors should take note.