Wallabies utility back Julian Huxley has been shocked to learn he has a brain tumour after undergoing precautionary scans.
Huxley broke the news to his Brumbies Super 14 teammates today.
The tumour at the top of his brain, which is believed to be benign, was discovered when Huxley had follow up scans yesterday after being taken from the field early in the Brumbies’ win over Queensland at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.
Huxley had convulsed on the field after being concussed when he attempted a head-on tackle on Queensland lock James Horwill.
He spent the night in hospital for observation and was initially cleared on Sunday after he recovered well.
“It was a huge shock when the doctor told me I have a tumour,” Huxley said in a statement.
“It’s obviously been with me for some time and I’ve never felt any sort of illness.
“The challenge for me now is to get on with gathering the best advice from the specialists and neurosurgeons, dealing with it and recovering as quickly as I can.”
Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan said it’s believed the tumour has been present for several years.
It remains unclear if or when Huxley will play again.
“The news has shaken all of us at Brumbies Rugby,” Fagan said.
“He is a great bloke and an important member of the team and the Canberra community.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Julian and his family and we look forward to his full recovery.”
Fagan asked the media to respect Huxley’s privacy.
“We appreciate Julian is a popular member of our side and there will be a great deal of public concern about his health.
“Please understand that, while we will endeavour to keep you up to date, our primary concern is Julian’s health and welfare.
“We wish him a speedy recovery and will be doing everything in our power to support him and his family through this challenging time.”
Huxley comes from a strong rugby union background and rose through the ranks of Super rugby to debut for the Wallabies at fullback against Wales last year.
His strong international season was crowned with Rookie of the Year honours.
He debuted with the Brumbies in the then Super 12 competition in 2002 before heading to Brisbane, where he played for the Reds until 2007 when he returned to Canberra.
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