DRAGONS forward Ollie Griffiths has revealed he has a rare disorder on his spine.

The 29-year-old from Newbridge, a father of one with his wife Cassie, announced last month that a tumour had been discovered and that he would be out ‘for the foreseeable future’ because of surgery.

The back rower, who won a cap for Wales in 2017, has issued an update after receiving the diagnosis.

“Thank you all for the kind messages and well-wishes over the past few weeks,” Griffiths posted on his Instagram and on the Dragons website.

“I’ve received a lot of questions, so I wanted to share an update and hopefully raise awareness about a very rare condition.

“A few months ago, a tumour was found on my spine, which a biopsy confirmed as Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis—a condition with only around 50 new cases in the UK each year.

“While it’s not the outcome we were hoping for, the prognosis is better than we initially feared, and it’s not as aggressive as we once thought.

“I’m currently undergoing mild treatment and will be reassessed soon to check for any improvements. At the moment, I’m feeling good and hopeful for some positive news in the near future.”

DYNAMIC: Ollie Griffiths has been a leading figure for the Dragons since his 2014 debutDYNAMIC: Ollie Griffiths has been a leading figure for the Dragons since his 2014 debut (Image: Gareth Everett)

Griffiths became the youngest club captain in Newport RFC’s rich history in 2014 and burst onto the scene for the Dragons that season.

Explosive will ball in hand and a menace at the breakdown, he has racked up 105 appearances for the club.

Griffiths would have won more than his solitary Wales cap, won against Tonga in 2017, were it not for injury misfortune.