Patellar Knee Help

Hi all,
I am only relatively new to the enjoyable area of knee pain and I know that my knee could be a lot worse. I was recently diagnosed with fissures under my patellar tendon (I think it is commonly called chondromalacia). The orthopedic surgeon advised that I have to give up rugby (he said that possible a knock to my knee would have started the degeneration of the cartilage) and start seeing a physio. Currently I don’t really experience any pain in the knee however I do have this sensation that the knee is very weak. I’ve started taping the knee (McConnell technique) and doing a bunch of exercises to strengthen my VMO.

I was seeking people’s experiences and thoughts about this condition. Will I have to give up playing rugby as I am still young (23yr) and still love playing? If I don’t give up playing rugby, what problems will I run into down the track? Is this the kind of condition that in 10 years I will need a knee replacement and a cane? Thanks for any help and feedback.