A rugby star has revealed he has lost a testicle after a freak training ground incident.
Newcastle Thunder player Jack Johnson revealed that he was forced to have surgery to remove it after it 'exploded'. The winger was a try scorer in the 24-24 draw with Dewsbury in the Betfred Championship last weekend, though it's safe to say that this injury will have brought him crashing down to earth.
Despite the gruesome nature of the injury, Johnson managed to see the funny side, posting about the incident on social media. On Twitter, the former Warrington Wolves player wrote: "What a load of B******S
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"Not my greatest Thursday ever, with the old testicle exploding at training. Had it removed last night. Will be back soon just a little bit lighter. And as the saying goes RL wins again. P.S does the swelling stay asking for a friend."
And for anyone who is wondering, Jack confirmed in a later tweet that it was the left testicle he'd had removed! The 23-year-old joined Newcastle Thunder in 2021 and has made 24 appearances since, scoring 14 tries.
Even by rugby league standards, where players have had dislocated knees put back in place and continued playing, it's unlikely that Johnson will play at the summer bash tomorrow when Newcastle take on York City Knights.
Testicle-related injuries are surprisingly common in rugby league. In 2012, Warrington Wolves' Paul Wood lost one during a collision in the Super League Grand Final and in 2019 another Warrington player, Jack Hughes saw out more than half a match with a ruptured testicle.
Earlier this year NRL star Chanel Harris Tavita did the same thing when playing for New Zealand warriors.
What's the most painful injury you've got from playing sport? Let us know!
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