Matt Hodgson
Western Force captain, Matt Hodgson, is expected to miss the first 8 weeks of the 2015 Super Rugby season after suffering a hamstring injury in the team’s 38 / 19 win over the Asia Pacific Dragons in Perth on Saturday.
Hodgson underwent scans over the weekend, confirming a serious hamstring strain that will see him miss a significant portion of the season.
He is expected to return after the Force’s bye in Round 8.
“This is obviously disappointing for ‘Hodgo’ but we’ll take a conservative approach with his rehab to ensure he doesn’t re-injure,” said Force head coach Michael Foley.
“In Matt’s absence, we have a number of quality back-rowers capable of stepping up, including Chris Alcock, Brynard Stander and Kane Koteka.
“With regard to the leadership of the squad, we have a standards group that will continue to provide a lead, and a captain will be appointed in due course from within that group.”
The Force standards group consists of Hodgson, Pek Cowan, Patrick Dellit, Kyle Godwin, Alby Mathewson, Ben McCalman, Luke Morahan and Sam Wykes.
The Force will kick off their 2015 Super Rugby season against the Waratahs in Sydney on Sunday 15 February.