Wallaby plays with mother in coma

Lock Kane Douglas played in the Wallabies' loss to France at the weekend while his mother was in an induced coma in a London hospital, a report said on Monday.

Trish Douglas suffered a stroke in midair while she and husband Chris flew to Europe to watch their son play in his first Test against France on Saturday, the Sydney Morning Herald said, quoting a team spokesman.

She was taken off the plane in London and placed in an induced coma in hospital, the newspaper said.

Douglas was contacted by his brothers, Jake and Luke, who plays in the National Rugby League for the Gold Coast Titans, and told of his mother's condition on Friday.

At his father's and brothers' urging, Douglas played in the French international, which Australia lost 33-6, then caught an early train to London on Sunday morning, it said.

Wallabies' coach Robbie Deans paid tribute to Douglas in playing under the strain of his mother's illness.

"Kane did very well under a difficult circumstance," Deans told the newspaper.

"His mother's not well, she's in hospital in London, so he had that going on in the back of his mind."

AFP