Fiji captain Tui Kamikamica is determined to lead the Bati at Rugby League World Cup 2026 after undergoing heart and brain surgery.

The 31-year-old Melbourne Storm prop is recovering after suffering a stroke in March and undergoing emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain.

Kamikamica said his first thought when he awoke was about whether he would be able to play again and he has now set his sights on returning for the Storm.

He also wants to lead Fiji in RLWC2026 matches against Cook Islands in Newcastle on October 18, Australia at Suncorp Stadium on October 25 and, New Zealand at Cbus Super Stadium on October 31.

"I've been doing just light weights, light running and stuff, and then I can slowly push a bit more," Kamikamica told AAP.

"Pretty much my goal at the end of the year is to represent my country, Fiji, in the Rugby League World Cup, but for me right now it's more so getting back into my rehab, doing it the right way.

"I don't need to rush back because this is one of those serious injuries."

Kamikamica, who was born and raised in Fiji, has played 23 Tests for the Bati and was a member of the team which stunned New Zealand in the quarter finals of RLWC2017 and lost 24-18 to the Kiwis at the same stage of the last World Cup in 2022.

Photo: Tui Kamikamica has captained the Bati since 2023. @NRL Photos

He said he was feeling "pretty much back to normal" and would gradually increase his training load before returning to play.

"As soon as I woke up, the first thing I ask the doctor, 'Am I going to play again?' and he was like, 'Don't worry, you'll play again', and that's all I needed to know," Kamikamica said.

Realising something was wrong when he awoke in the night and had no feeling in his right arm, Kamikamica's wife Asi called an ambulance and he underwent surgery at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

After time in a rehabilitation facility, Kamikamica was booked in for more surgery - this time to fix the hole in his heart, known as a Patent Foramen Ovale, which had allowed the blood clot to travel to his brain.

"Everyone has a little hole in their heart, but once you grow older, it's supposed to be closed, but then one in four people still have that hole in their heart, I'm just one of those one in four people," Kamikamica said.

"It was closed last week ... if I didn't have the heart surgery then I can have another stroke in the near future so that's pretty scary.

"It's been a tough couple of weeks, but I'm glad it's all done now."

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