England's Tom Curry said on Monday he "curled up in a ball" and cried when told the full extent of a hip problem that saw him miss most of last season and left the Sale flanker fearing for his rugby career.

England flanker Tom Curry reveals he "curled up into a ball" and "just cried" to his girlfriend Lilla before hip surgery last season because of a warning that his career could be over.

Tom Curry has been through a lot in the last 12 months. From being sent off three minutes into England’s opening World Cup match to finding himself engulfed in a racism storm after reporting an alleged slur at the end of the tournament.