Melbourne Storm and Fijian forward Tui Kamikamica has confirmed he will retire effective immediately on medical grounds.
Kamikamica suffered a stroke during the pre-season and hasn't been able to return in a competitive game yet.
It was understood he was targeting the World Cup where he could have had a swansong for Fiji, but the Storm confirmed on Thursday morning that he has retired effective immediately.
“I'm incredibly proud of everything I've been able to achieve in the game, representing Storm and captaining my country," Kamikamica said in a statement.
“Melbourne Storm has been a huge part of my life for the past 10 years. I'm so grateful to the Club, my teammates, coaches, staff and everyone who has supported me and my family throughout my rugby league career.
“To play for Storm and captain Fiji are memories I'll cherish forever. I want to thank everyone at Storm for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to play at the highest level. Melbourne will always be a special place for me and my family and I'm looking forward to my next chapter in life.”
Kamikamica finished his career with 142 NRL games for the Storm, to go with 23 Test appearances for Fiji, where he also was given captaincy duties.
He also played in the 2024 and 2025 NRL grand finals, and was a member of premiership-winning squads in 2017 and 2020.
“Tui has been a fantastic player for us, but more importantly, he's been a fantastic person,” the club's director of football Frank Ponissi said.
“He came into our system as a young man and developed into an important member of our team, a leader and someone his teammates could always rely on.
“To play 142 games for this Club and captain Fiji is a terrific achievement and something Tui should be incredibly proud of. We're going to miss having him around the team, but he can look back on his career knowing he gave everything he had to his Club, teammates and country.”
