Aug 27 (Reuters) - South Sydney Rabbitohs' Jai Arrow, who retired in May after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, will play in the opening moments of their next two matches so he can reach 100 appearances after the NRL granted special dispensation.
The 31-year-old will lead the Rabbitohs onto the field before being substituted after the opening seconds and then take his place on the bench, with the NRL approving one-off rule changes to ensure his participation does not affect the squad.
MND is a rare progressive condition that damages nerve-controlling movement, causing muscle weakness over time.
Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly said in a statement that they were grateful for the support of the National Rugby League and the Rugby League Players Association plus the Gold Coast Titans and Sydney Roosters for Arrow to be able to play in the two games.
"We believe this will provide great inspiration for everyone watching the game from the stadium or at home, showing that MND will not hold Jai, or anyone else, back from achieving what they want to achieve in life," he said.
The gesture will make Arrow the 67th player to bring up 100 matches for South Sydney, joining a distinguished list of Rabbitohs greats including Clive Churchill, John Sattler, Greg Inglis, John Sutton and current captain Cameron Murray.
Rabbitohs visit the Titans on Saturday followed by a home fixture against the Roosters on September 4.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
