RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney in hospital after suffering pulmonary embolism

The Rugby Football Union expect their chief executive Bill Sweeney to make a full recovery despite English rugby’s head honcho remaining in hospital to be treated for pulmonary embolism. 

Sweeney will not be in position at Twickenham for the foreseeable future and he continues to be monitored by medical staff after he fell ill last Friday. 

His RFU duties will be divided among Sweeney’s fellow executives while he focuses on returning to full health. A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that develops in a blood vessel in the body. 

Bill Sweeney was admitted to hospital last Friday after suffering a pulmonary embolism; the RFU have released a statement saying that Sweeney is expected to make a full recovery

‘Bill is expected to make a full recovery and return to work. He is in good spirits and is being well looked after,’ said an RFU statement. 

‘Bill will be recuperating for the next few weeks; initially in hospital but returning home soon. 

‘In the interim, the RFU executive team will ensure Union matters continue to be managed effectively working closely with Tom Ilube, RFU Chair, and the rest of board as needed. 

‘Bill would like to convey his strongest possible appreciation for the NHS who perform such incredible work.’ 

Sweeney is a close ally of England boss Eddie Jones (left), but he will not return to work soon

Sale will unleash England centre Manu Tuilagi in Paris on Sunday as the Sharks plan a huge Champions Cup quarter-final upset against Racing 92. 

Tuilagi – who missed the Six Nations with a hamstring injury – was left out of Sale’s Premiership win over Newcastle last week to prepare for the trip to the French capital. 

Sale have a fully fit squad to choose from with Tuilagi’s England colleague Tom Curry and South African World Cup winners Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager all fit to start. 

Sale will unleash England centre Manu Tuilagi in Paris on Sunday against Racing 92

‘He’s well primed. Manu is an English-Samoan thoroughbred,’ said Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson. ‘It was purely conservation on Manu’s behalf last week to keep him fresh. 

‘He’s better than he would have been if he’d played last week. 

‘I’d like to think we have a game plan and a team that can fatigue other teams through a physicality and pressure we can bring over the course of 80 minutes. 

‘We know we’re the underdogs but we’re relishing the opportunity.’ 

Tom Youngs has admitted ‘you don’t realise how cruel life can be at times’ after the former Leicester, England and British & Irish Lions hooker confirmed his retirement from rugby.

Youngs quit the game last week with immediate effect following a period of indefinite leave to care for his wife Tiffany who is battling illness. 

Youngs’ wife was told she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, shortly after giving birth to her daughter Maisie in 2014 and that the diagnosis was terminal. 

However, she was later told she was cancer free after trying alternative treatments only for illness to strike again. 

Youngs gave a rousing speech to his former Leicester team-mates before their convincing Gallagher Premiership win over Bristol Bears last weekend. 

Former Leicester and Lions star Tom Youngs confirmed his retirement from rugby last week

‘I just talked about how I’d love to do one more tackle and one more carry for them but I can’t,’ Youngs said. 

‘I talked about Tiff a little bit. I talked about life and how when you’re in the moment, in that changing room, you don’t realise how good it is and how lucky you are sometimes. 

‘Ultimately, you don’t realise how cruel life can be sometimes so you have to enjoy those moments. 

‘There wasn’t really a dry eye in the changing room. It was lovely and those things will sit with me for a long time.’