Alex Groves to start for Scarlets after 2024 heart surgery

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. The selection is notable because Groves underwent major eight-hour heart surgery in February 2024 and faced uncertainty over whether he would play or survive.

Groves was born and raised in Johannesburg and moved to join Bristol at age 19, where he helped England Under-20s win a Grand Slam. As part of Bristol's 2021 pre-season he underwent cardio screening and was told he had a leaky heart valve; he was informed the condition was common and only required monitoring. The 6ft 9in (2.06m) lock joined Sale Sharks in April 2022 and a later screening showed his condition had worsened, with medics advising surgery within five years to prevent the heart from enlarging to a non-functional size.

An aneurysm was identified on 5 January 2024, Groves' 23rd birthday, prompting urgent action. "It was very scary," Groves said. "It was such a shock when I found out." He also recalled the earlier discovery timeline: "I remember they found the problem in August 2023 and from there it was on and off for a couple of months," and described sitting with his parents when told the full diagnosis: "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."

Groves said an initial diagnosis had been missed because standard MRI machines were not well suited to his size. "My surgeon said I could not play because they'd found an aneurysm that they'd missed," he said, adding that the extra body mass meant the scan had not detected the problem. He warned of the immediate danger the aneurysm posed: "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."

Groves had been due to play for Sale in a Champions Cup fixture against the Stormers in South Africa in January but withdrew; a month later he underwent the eight-hour operation. He described the experience: "It was terrifying but I think it is more scary for the people closest to you," and recalled family waiting: "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." He also remembered reassurance from his anaesthetist: "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 nine months in rehabilitation and acknowledged the difficulty of returning to full fitness, including episodes where different heart rhythms left him breathless climbing stairs. "It was a tough rehabilitation process," he said, adding: "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." He received the all-clear to play in November 2024, was loaned to Championship side Caldy RFC and returned to action in late December 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.”

After leaving Sale in 2025 Groves returned to South Africa to join the Stormers and later had a short loan to Scarlets during a South African trip, starting against the Lions and appearing off the bench against the Sharks. He signed for the Llanelli club permanently for the 2026-27 season, was supported by Scarlets fans his family met in Johannesburg who are sponsoring him during his stay in Wales, and received help with early accommodation when he spent six weeks in a flat above a pub in Llanelli before moving on. Groves made his competitive debut as a replacement in the 21-15 defeat against Cardiff last weekend and has spoken about the impact of the experience off the field: "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."

Groves will make his first start on Welsh soil on Saturday when he lines up against the Dragons in the United Rugby Championship.