A Fairytale Farewell and a Horrific Aftermath
Nic White’s career with the Wallabies was marked by several false starts, but he ultimately experienced a fairytale farewell that many athletes dream of. However, just months after retiring, he found himself in a terrifying situation when he developed a serious infection following leg surgery, which led to sepsis—a life-threatening condition.
Sepsis can have a mortality rate as high as 50% in severe cases and can be fatal within 24 hours if not treated quickly. White described his time in hospital as “touch and go” for a couple of days and nights. He underwent intensive treatment, spent a month in the hospital, and is still taking medication eight months later. Despite this, the 35-year-old is now working on his post-playing career plan, serving as an assistant coach for the Western Force.
Ahead of the Force’s last-round game against the Waratahs in Perth, White shared his harrowing experience with illness and the valuable perspective he gained during a challenging transition period for many athletes.
The End of a Long Career
After being recalled to the Wallabies side for the third Lions Test in Sydney last year, White announced his retirement, marking the end of a 16-year, 78-Test career. The pugnacious halfback went out on top, at least initially, after the Wallabies defeated the Lions in the rain at Accor Stadium. However, injury issues in the Test squad extended his playing time for a few more weeks.
White started in Australia’s historic win over the Springboks in Johannesburg—their first there since 1963—and in a narrow loss in Cape Town. After two more thrilling Tests against Argentina in Townsville and Sydney, and countless jokes about his “last tour,” White finally retired in September.
“F—, I am gonna miss it,” he posted.
Surgery Complications
White had scheduled an ‘osteotomy’ operation in October in Perth to fix his famously bowed legs. The procedure involved straightening both shins and a femur using plates and screws. Initially, everything went smoothly, and he felt like he was “flying.” However, about five weeks post-operation, he developed an infection, which he delayed addressing for too long.
“It probably went a bit far,” White said. “It got quite bad, to the point where I got sepsis and it spread to my lungs, throat, and even got close to my heart, which was pretty scary.”
Sepsis is a severe and dangerous inflammatory response to an infection that can damage tissues and organs. According to the Australian Sepsis Network, it is the leading cause of death from infection globally, with 12,000 Australians dying each year out of 84,000 affected.
White was fortunate to receive timely treatment. He spent a month in the hospital and has been on IV antibiotics for a while, still taking them now. He had three different IV blocks of antibiotics and faced a recurrence of the infection during a trial game in January, requiring another hospital stay.
Despite losing 12 kilograms during his illness, White has slowly recovered and had another round of surgery six weeks ago to replace some metal work. At 175cm tall, he jokes that the silver lining is he is now a few centimeters taller.
“I am feeling really good,” White said. “I got a green light to get back on my feet, and in a couple of weeks, the doctor will give me the green light to start running again.”
The Future
Agonizingly for someone known as an Energiser Bunny-type character with three energetic sons, White has been on “go-slow” orders and spent time in a wheelchair during his recovery. He is deeply grateful for the support of his wife Melissa and their three boys, Leo, Sonny, and Vin, as well as the Force management and coaching teams.
White was supposed to be a full-time assistant coach this year but was largely restricted to helping via laptop analysis and coaching meetings. He still chats with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and recently tried his hand as a pundit for Stan Sport.
“Last week was my first week where I was with the boys all week on my feet for the first time, which was quite exciting,” White said. “This year hasn’t quite gone to plan, but it puts things in perspective on a lot of fronts, with family and footy.”
He also shared his observations of NRL convert Zac Lomax, who has thrown himself into learning everything about the game. “His ability to take in knowledge and execute like he has has been impressive. I can see him being in the conversation for Wallabies selection.”
Like NSW, the Force can’t make the finals due to a poor first half of the season, but they’ve gained momentum with five wins from the last seven games. White believes the team can carry this momentum into next year.
“That’s the opportunity the boys have this week. To go out there and finish. Whatever it is in life, it’s the way you leave it that impacts massively on how you remember it.”
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