Wallabies’ star winger Digby Ioane ruled out of upcoming games due to thumb injury – Rugby News
2011 Tri Nations’ champions Wallabies received a major blow to their Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign after first choice winger, Digby Ioane, participation from their upcoming games was ruled out following a thumb injury. Wallabies' officials have confirmed the injury to Ioane in a statement released on Monday, September 12.
Ioane fractured his right thumb during the Wallabies 2011 RWC encounter against Italy at North Harbour Stadium, at North Shore City on Sunday, September 11. Wallabies won the match 32 – 6, which includes Ioane’s 66th minute try.
The incident occurred during the 60th minute of the game, in which Ioane met Azzurri’s winger Mirco Bergamasco’s boot. Ioane continued playing in the game despite the injury.
However, later at the end of the game, the pain intensified and team officials decided to run detailed scans on the winger’s right thumb. The results of the scans came on the Monday, which revealed a fracture to Ioane thumb. The doctors have advised Ioane to undergo surgery to recover from the injury.
Team officials, in a statement released on Monday, have confirmed that their star international winger Ioane will undergo the surgery. The statement read, “Ioane will be operated on and will remain with the Wallabies in New Zealand.”
Officials added that the winger will remain in the New Zealand and will be the part of the team. They have expressed their confidence that Ioane will be able to recover in time to represent the Wallabies in the last few games of the ongoing global tournament.
The statement said, “He is expected to be available to play again later in the tournament although the exact timelines on when he might be able to return will not be known until after the joint has been operated on, and his rehabilitation from the injury has begun.”
Ioane absence will have strong repercussions on Wallabies progress in this year’s global showpiece tournament. He is one of their in-form players and his combination with the likes of Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Kurtley Beale, and James O’Connor was pivotal in the Wallabies recent 2011 Tri Nations successful campaign. He is their leading try scorer in the season so far.
The 26-year-old Ioane was part of the 2011 Super Rugby champions Queensland Reds and he joined Reds in 2008. Prior to that, he played for the Western Force for two campaigns, on in 2006 and the other in 2007.
The Wellington born Ioane made his international debut for Australia against the touring Wales side in 2007. He so far has played 17 tests for Wallabies and has scored 45 points.
Tags: