A British man charged with assault over an incident that left Australia’s Commonwealth Games rugby sevens captain with a fractured skull is understood to be a backpacker from Newcastle.

James Stannard is “doing very well” but has been ruled out of the coming competition as a result of the injury that required emergency hospital treatment in the early hours of Friday morning.

There will be “no long-term damage” to Stannard and it is understood he will be out of hospital soon, according to coach Andy Friend.

Police said two men had been talking outside a kebab shop in the coastal Coogee suburb of Sydney when one allegedly punched the other in the head without provocation, sending him to the ground with a single blow.

Sam Oliver, 22, who is reportedly from Newcastle and had been backpacking in Australia, has been ordered to appear in court charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm on April 19.

Talking about Stannard, Mr Friend told reporters: “He’s doing really well. He’s had a clearance from the neurosurgeon, the ear, nose and throat specialist as well.

“Every indication at this point in time, is that there’ll be no long-term damage to James, he will be fine.

“There was a suggestion he may even leave hospital today.

“I think at this point in time, personal choice of James and his family is that he’ll look to stay another day, but all the indications are very, very positive for James, which is the most important thing.”

Ben Whitaker, a general manager at Australian rugby’s governing body, said Stannard was an “extremely important” member of the squad and they had been left “shocked” by the incident.

The captain, team mates Lewis Holland and Ben O’Donnell and coach Andy Friend had been out for dinner before the alleged attack, he told media.

In the seconds after Stannard was assaulted the trio chased down his assailant and held him until police arrived.

“They did what they had to do, such an unfortunate incident and something they had to do due to the state James was in,” Whitaker said.

Stannard was made captain of Australia’s Commonwealth Games side earlier in March after skipper Lewis Holland was ruled out due to a hamstring injury.

The 35-year-old was expected to retire at the end of this season, having played for Australia since 2010.

In his debut year, Stannard captained the side to victory at the London Sevens at Twickenham and played for Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2016 Rio Olympics.

With matches beginning on April 14, the Gold Coast competition would have been Stannard’s third Commonwealth Games.

New South Wales Police inspector Steven Egbers told the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday: “Two men were talking with each other, seemingly having a nice conversation, and then one of the males has punched the other male in the head area, causing him to fall to the ground, and he’s hit his head in the pavement.

“When he fell to the ground he’s done some damage to the side of his head, and the offender ran off.”

Oliver was been bailed on “strict” conditions until his appearance at Waverley Local Court, police said.

Three months after the fatal accident which took the life of French cyclist Julien Trameaux, Australian businessman and professional poker player Warwick Mirzikinian was yesterday issued a court attendance notice for dangerous driving and negligent driving occasioning death at Rose Bay Police Station, Sydney.

At the time of the accident no charges were made against 49 year old Mirzikinian who was taken to hospital after his Tesla collided with the cyclist on the afternoon of 13th November last year in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Unfortunately Trameaux was pronounced dead at the scene. Following an investigation, however, it would appear that enough evidence has come to light which which to prosecute the Aussie poker champion.

Champion poker @WMirzikinian has been charged over the death of food cycle courier Julien Trameaux who was killed in Double Bay crash. #DoubleBay #7News pic.twitter.com/h9Mv9SEDp4

— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) February 18, 2018

Warwick Mirzikinian has almost AUD$1m in live tournament winnings on his resume, including 9 WSOP cashes, his best of which (3rd place in a $5k NL event in 2012 earned him $162,443. Mirzikinian had enjoyed his most successful year at the felt in 2017, winning four tournaments during the year, including back-to-back triumphs at Sydney Championships which he won the $1k 6max NLHE for $61,073 followed three days later by victory in the $20k NL High Roller for $197,385 (both US$). His last recorded cash came a little less than a month ago when he cashed in a $1k event at the Aussie Millions for $2,941.

According to friends of Julien Trameaux, the hardworking labourer and part-time food courier had dreamed of opening a patisserie in Sydney. Flatmate Leo Villaume told eastern suburbs newspaper The Wentworth Courier  “He (Mr Trameaux) was more than a friend, we were all a family and he was a brother. He was someone so determined.”

Above: Julien Trameaux (centre) was killed in November last year when his bicycle collided with poker player Warwick Mirzikinian’s Tesla in the South East suburbs of Sydney

According to The Australian, “The friends had competed in their first Sydney marathon in September 2017 to help raise funds for a school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

Mirzikinian will face Downing Centre Local Court in April.

 

A New Zealand former professional football player has been pulled off a flight from Australia and charged with rape in a dramatic arrest.

The 47-year-old allegedly assaulted a 37-year-old woman on Sunday. She reported this to police on Monday morning.

The Gold Coast Bulletin reports the accused’s mother bought him a one-way ticket back to New Zealand on Monday night after she learned of the rape allegation against him.

However police at the Coolangatta airport received information he was attempting to leave the country, seized the man from the flight, and charged him with rape.

The man has been released on bail after surrendering his passport.

He appears in court again on March 1.

Newshub.