Courtney Lawes hospitalised amid battle with 'serious bacterial infection'

Sale Sharks lock Courtney Lawes is recovering after being hospitalised with a serious bacterial infection that had entered his bloodstream.

The 37-year-old hasn’t featured for Sale since their Investec Champions Cup loss to Glasgoe on October 17.

The former England and British & Irish Lions forward revealed in a LinkedIn post that he had been treated with antibiotics. Lawes said the uncertainty around his recovery had been the biggest challenge.

“After feeling pretty rough and eventually ending up in hospital, it turned out I had a serious bacterial infection that had made its way into my bloodstream.

“Not ideal, to say the least!

“I’ve spent the best part of 20 years playing professional rugby, so I’m no stranger to injuries, pain and the occasional hospital visit. But this was something completely different.

“When you’re injured, there’s normally a fairly clear process. You know what’s wrong, you have a rehabilitation plan and, more often than not, you have a rough idea of when you’ll be back.

“This time, none of those things have been particularly clear.

“It’s a strange feeling going from being fit, healthy and training every day to suddenly finding yourself in a hospital bed, relying on antibiotics and doctors to get you back on your feet.

“And I think that’s probably been the biggest challenge. The uncertainty.

“I’m used to being able to take some control over my recovery. Put the work in, do the rehab, trust the process and eventually see the results.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t quite something you can squat your way out of.”

Lawes said the spell in hospital had also given him a chance to reflect on how easily athletes can take their health for granted.

“It’s also given me a bit of perspective.

“As athletes, we spend so much time worrying about performance, fitness and getting the most out of ourselves that it’s easy to take something as simple as being healthy for granted.”

Lawes said he was feeling much better, although he gave no timetable for a return to action with Sale. He also thanked the doctors, nurses and hospital staff who cared for him.

“I’m feeling much better now, thankfully, although there’s still some uncertainty around what the next few weeks will look like and how my return to play will look.

“For now, I’m just looking forward to getting back to normality. Spending time with the family, getting back into a routine and hopefully getting a sweat on sooner rather than later.

“A massive thank you to all the doctors, nurses and hospital staff who have looked after me. It’s been a real eye opener seeing the work you do firsthand, and I’m incredibly grateful.”