Curry tour over after concussion blow

Tom Curry is heading home from Australia due to a concussion sustained in England‘s first test defeat in Perth.

Curry suffered the head injury during the first half of the defeat, having impressed throughout the 40 minutes despite suffering the blow in the 14^th.

But the 24-year-old, who was nominated the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year, showed concussion symptoms at the interval before failing an HIA.

The Rugby Football Union says that the decision to withdraw him from the tour is in the “interest of player welfare and recovery”.

He will not be replaced on the tour, with Lewis Ludlam, – who made an impact in the second half of the defeat – Sam Underhill and Jack Willis as other available players at openside flanker.

Newly introduced guidelines have said that players with a history of concussion or removed from a match with clear symptoms must not play for at least 12 days.

And though the length of this period would enable Curry to feature in the final test, England have clearly opted to give him an extended rest after the concussion he suffered against Wales during the Six Nations.

The news will please non-profit anti-concussion lobby group Progressive Rugby, who criticised the 12-day period in last month’s The Rugby Paper as being too short.

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