Australia utility back Julian Huxley has conceded he will never play rugby again after confirmation he needs surgery to remove a brain tumour.
Huxley discovered he had a benign tumour while undergoing scans after he began convulsing on the field during a Super 14 match for the ACT Brumbies earlier this month.
The 28-year-old had initially hoped to resume playing but told Australian newspapers on Sunday he was resigned to hanging up his boots.
”From the brief discussions I’ve had with the neurosurgeon, no one has ever returned to that level in a contact sport, it could be quite dangerous,” he told the Sun-Herald newspaper.
”The realisation is that I won’t be playing footy again, and that’s bitterly disappointing. I’ve just got to move on and get back to normal, although I won’t be able to play footy again.”
A fullback or flyhalf, Huxley played nine tests for Australia since making his debut in 2007.
He was named rookie of the year and was a member of the Wallabies squad at the World Cup in France.
”I’m very fortunate to find the tumour and to find it now while I’m young and healthy,” he said.
”Hopefully, I’ll get through the operation better than if I was older. It looks like it’s benign but it can transform and get angry and nasty.” – Reuters