Blitzboks skipper stays behind in Canada

Cape Town - Springbok Sevens captain Kyle Brown will not return to South Africa with the rest of the squad and will instead stay behind in Vancouver on medical advice. The squad is expected to arrive back in Cape Town at around 07:00 on Wednesday.

Brown sustained a chest injury on Sunday in the Canada Sevens Cup final against New Zealand. He was taken to a nearby city hospital afterwards where he stayed overnight for observation. 

According to the team’s medical report, Brown subsequently developed air between the chest wall and the lungs. The condition is known as pneumothorax.

Hugh Everson, the Springbok Sevens physiotherapist, accompanied the player to hospital and said it was recommended that Brown does not undertake any air travel until his condition has cleared up. 

“Kyle is in good health and at this point he has minimal pain after he was discharged early on Monday morning,” said Everson.

“The recommendation, not to undertake travelling to South Africa, is purely precautionary. The provisional time frame the doctors have given him is between one and three weeks, so Kyle will not travel with the team to South Africa at this stage.”