Rugby: Chiefs winger sidesteps affliction

Chiefs winger James Lowe, pictured playing for Tasman against Bay of Plenty at ASB Baypark last year, lives every day with arthritis. Photo / Getty Images

James Lowe typifies the modern day professional rugby player.

The 22-year-old Chiefs winger is superbly fit with a well-defined gym body, speed to burn and good prospects of higher honours in the future.

But that hides what Lowe has been through after he was diagnosed with acute juvenile arthritis at age 14.

The sports-mad teenager from Nelson went from playing every sport available to being bedridden in constant pain.

"It started out as a rash and it quickly got to a stage where I spent a whole summer in bed before I was diagnosed with a form of juvenile arthritis," Lowe said.

"I was stuck on a drip for three hours a day, three times a day, until the right medication was found.

"I dropped close to 20kg and a few times I went to some pretty dark places. My family and I wondered if I had to give up sport. I was fortunate enough to be subsidised with the right medication that helped me get back on my feet."

Lowe's remarkable recovery says much about his positive attitude.

He had two years in the Nelson College First XV and made New Zealand Schools in 2010. A Tasman ITM Cup jersey followed in 2012 and last year he stepped up for the Chiefs in a creditable first season at Super Rugby level. To cap it off he made the Maori All Blacks team that toured Japan in November.

Lowe has been an official ambassador for Arthritis New Zealand for four years. In November he received its Young Achiever Award and spoke at a parliamentary function.

"It is pretty important to me but tough to commit as much time as I like to," he said. "With being an ambassador comes the responsibility of attending promotional events and getting awareness out there. I am going to be playing cricket at Parliament soon, if I can make it, with the likes of Billy Bowden.

"I always wear the orange wrist band so wherever I can preach the message I will preach it."

Lowe takes prescribed drugs and a weekly injection to keep his arthritis at bay.

"It is not as scary as it used to be. I used to not really like needles but after six or seven years you get used to it. The one thing [arthritis] does do is slow down my healing and the rehab stuff.

"One of my main focuses this season is to make sure I can go into the season 100 per cent and then get as much game time as I can. Hopefully, come finals time I can be a shoo-in for that wing position."