Local rugby player overcomes health scare to return to pitch

WATCH: Twenty-eight-year-old Riley Ilnicki is a mainstay in the Castaway Wanderers rugby program. But in 2017, a health scare put everything on hold. Tyler Bennett has the story.

Sixteen months ago, Ilnicki was told he had to undergo open heart surgery to fix his aorta and was forced to step away from the game he loved. Over a year later, Ilnicki recovered from the surgery and took part in his first rugby match since the surgery. Not only did Ilnicki play, but he scored the game-winning try to lift the Castaway Wanderers over the James Bay Bays.

Editorial Policies Report an Error