Ulster body blow as Maguire forced to quit

NEW ULSTER centre Mike Maguire has been forced to retire at the age of 24 after club medics discovered he was suffering from a degenerative hip disorder.

The New Zealander, who only joined Ulster at the beginning of July, was unaware of the condition and had never experienced anything more than stiffness in the joint.

But the Ulster medical staff noticed the problem during his medical and subsequent scans have revealed Maguire has had the condition since birth.