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16/03/2008 18:42
Melbourne - Australian World Cup Wallaby back Julian Huxley says he is resigned to never playing rugby again after confirmation that he will need to undergo surgery to remove a brain tumour, reports said on Sunday.
Huxley, 28, discovered he had a tumour while undergoing scans following a head knock during a Super 14 match for the Brumbies earlier this month.
While it was hoped Huxley would eventually return to the field, medical specialists during the week told him his playing career was over, reports said.
"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," Huxley told The Sun-Herald newspaper.
"The last couple of weeks have been about the big news, the tumour, and what course of action to take.
"Now that I've decided on that, 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.
"I met the surgeon and it was never an option not to have surgery. There's nothing you can do about it."
Although devastated by the realisation his playing days are over, Huxley considers himself lucky.
"You can look at it that way," Huxley said. "I'm fortunate that I have been playing rugby because going through life every day there's no reason to get an MRI scan, you're not going to get knocked out.
"I'm very fortunate to find the tumour and to find it now while I'm young and healthy.
"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."
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