Australia's rugby sevens captain is in hospital with a fractured skull after a British man allegedly punched him outside a kebab shop.

James Stannard is in a stable condition after the "unprovoked" incident in the popular Sydney tourist area of Coogee in the early hours of Friday, Rugby Australia said.

There are doubts whether the 35-year-old will be able to play in the Commonwealth Games, which starts on Australia's Gold Coast on 4 April.

A 22-year-old British man has been charged over the alleged "one-punch" assault by South Wales Police, the organisation said.

Image: James Stannard (centre) may miss the Commonwealth Games

Stannard was with a group of teammates, including head coach Andy Friend, outside the Coogee kebab shop just after 3am.


Rugby Australia said Stannard had a conversation with the man before being punched in the head in an unprovoked attack.

Stannard is believed to have hit his head on the pavement and was taken to St Vincent's Hospital.

Several members of the Australian sevens team witnessed the attack, with Lewis Holland, Ben O'Donnell and the coach running after the attacker and detaining him until police arrived.

The team had attended a farewell dinner for Friend, who did not have his contract renewed by Rugby Australia and will leave the team later this year.

Stannard had played in a Commonwealth Games warm-up match in Sydney just hours before the incident.

He only recently replaced injured captain Lewis Holland.

The Games' rugby sevens programme runs from 13-15 April.