Rugby:Former Australia captain and 1991 rugby World Cup winner Michael Lynagh is in a stable condition in a Brisbane hospital after suffering an apparent stroke. The 48-year-old was admitted on Monday after becoming ill while visiting the city.
"Lynagh remains in a stabilised condition in the Royal Brisbane Hospital and is undergoing tests in an effort to discover the cause of the illness," the Queensland Rugby Union said today. Lynagh's family had requested privacy, though news he had been hospitalised swept through social networking website Twitter, with current and former players sending their best wishes.
"Sad news about Michael Lynagh. Hoping he pulls through and back to full health," Queensland Reds and Wallabies captain James Horwill said on his Twitter page. Former Wallabies teammate Tim Horan said that Lynagh "seems to be recovering well" and in a later posting said he was "up and walking" and undergoing an MRI.
Lynagh's World Cup winning captain Nick Farr-Jones, with whom he forged a potent inside back combination for 47 tests, said he hoped the former outhalf would make a speedy recovery.
"I personally had the privilege to play alongside Michael for a decade and developed a great trust and friendship," Farr-Jones, who is also the New South Wales Rugby Union chairman, said in a statement. "Michael is a fantastic person and a great teammate, I am sure everyone in rugby will be supporting him, Isabella and their family at this time."
Lynagh won 72 Test caps and retired from international rugby in 1995 as the world record points scorer with 911, a total which remains an Australian record. An inspirational playmaker Lynagh, who also won 100 caps for Queensland, made his Test debut in 1984 and he was part of Australia’s Grand Slam-winning team later that year.
Lynagh was vice-captain of Australia’s World Cup-winning side in 1991 and he scored the late winning try against Ireland in the quarter-finals. After captaining Australia to the quarter-finals of the 1995 World Cup, Lynagh retired from international rugby and joined Saracens at the start of the professional era.
Lynagh was the club’s first major signing after Nigel Wray had taken control of the club and he helped attract Philippe Sella, Francois Pienaar and Kyran Bracken to the club
