Tom Curry Out of Racing 92 Clash for Chronic Hip Treatment

Tom Curry the England flanker will miss Sale’s Champions Cup match against Racing 92 on Friday to undergo a stem-cell procedure for his chronic hip condition. Curry, 26, had surgery last season to address the injury and made a strong recovery, participating in England’s summer tour of New Zealand and the November internationals. Sale’s head coach, Alex Sanderson explained that the stem-cell procedure is part of a long-term plan to manage Curry’s health with the goal of having him ready for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The procedure involves injecting stem cells into Curry’s hip to aid bone growth from a previous operation, followed by a week of rest to allow the healing process to begin. Sanderson expects Curry to return to action around Christmas. The club and England have worked closely together to manage Curry’s workload with input from England coach Steve Borthwick. Sanderson emphasized the importance of not overloading Curry with too many games, given his injury history.

The plan includes limiting Curry to around 23 games this season with 16 for Sale and the rest for England ensuring he avoids the maximum 30-game limit for international players. Curry started England’s autumn matches against New Zealand and Australia but was knocked unconscious in the match against the Wallabies which ruled him out for the South Africa game.

Despite concerns about his health, Sanderson trusted the medical team’s judgment when Tom Curry returned to play against Japan. Sanderson expressed his personal concern for Curry’s wellbeing but respected the decision to let him play based on medical advice.