Scotland’s Stuart Hogg has been ruled out of the rest of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand following a brutal collision with a team mate.
Hogg was taken off the pitch during the squad’s third game against the Crusaders on Saturday morning after colliding with Irishman Conor Murray’s elbow.
The Scotsman suffered a broken cheekbone during the incident, it has been confirmed.
And Lions coach, Warren Gatland, has said the Glasgow Warriors player would have risked losing the vision in his eye had he continued and suffered another bad knock to his head.
The news came just before the Lions lost to the Highlanders 23-22 in New Zealand this morning.
Conor Murray wangs Stuart Hogg. Ouch! pic.twitter.com/OO25FqvwK1
— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) June 10, 2017
The fullback, who was named the Six Nations player of the tournament this year, was left bleeding and with heavy bruising around his left eye following the game.
Taking to Twitter this morning the 24-year-old said: “It is an honour to have been involved in a second British and Irish Lions tour and I have hugely enjoyed my time with the squad and I’m very excited about the potential of this group.”
✌?? pic.twitter.com/wtbE2xtCSi
— Stuart W Hogg (@StuartWHOGG_) June 13, 2017
Hogg posted a photo of his injury after the game, as All Black and Blues player Israel Dagg went out of his way to swap shirts with him.
Gatland has ruled out calling up another player to fill in for Hogg.
