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'Cancer was not in my mind... you never think it is going to be you'

Johnny Williams scores for England against the Barbarians last June (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Johnny Williams has finally spoken about his dramatic journey from scoring for England against the Barbarians last June to undergoing treatment for testicular cancer. 

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The 23-year-old Newcastle centre had the final round of chemotherapy last month and is now awaiting the all-clear from club physios to resume training. 

Speaking on the BBC podcast, You, Me and the Big C, Williams said: “It was definitely a shock. I had just finished pre-season and it was probably the fittest and strongest I had ever been.

“My last game was playing for England against the Baa-Baas in the summer, so I was on a huge high. Then I get this huge setback where I am then watching the World Cup in a hospital bed.

“Cancer was not in my mind. It has never been hereditary in my family. You never think it is going to be you, and especially because of my lifestyle – being an athlete, caring about my diet, caring about my health. I never thought I would get it.

(Continue reading below…)

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“My only regret is that I let it go for three months because that might have been the difference between having chemotherapy and not. Instead of having just had surgery, I would be back playing now.”

A World Cup winner in 2016 with the England under-20s, Williams’ advice to young men is don’t hesitate to find out what is wrong if they feel something is up with their health.

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“You will never get laughed out of the GP surgery or the hospital or the nurse. It doesn’t matter if there is something small, just get it checked out,” he said, explaining it was a knock in training that forced him to get checked out.  

“It wasn’t a big, traumatic knock,” he said. “This was really subtle and it was badly aching. It wasn’t a direct blow, it’s hard to explain.

“I was walking around the club for about an hour with this ache, thinking this is really bad. I was just thinking about this dull ache that I needed to get rid of, and that it was really serious.

“I then spoke to two of my closest mates, who passed me on our GP’s number, and I rushed to his place and got it checked out. He asked me how long it had been like that for and he got me booked in for a scan straight away.”

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frandinand 4 hours ago
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Happy to respond Jacko. For many years you posted on the Roar and more latterly here as Jacko. Then you changed to Forward Pass and I and others including Nick Bishop outed you as Jacko . Not surprisingly you denied it but Forward Pass ceased posting and HHT came along. It was immediately recognisable as you as your opinions and syntax are all too apparent. I believe you changed your name as you wished to distance yourself from some previous comments made as Jacko including accusing referees of corruption. The only person who has asked me to move on is you and I will continue to refer to you as Jacko so people are reminded of your bias and what your past postings have alleged.

As to my own Nom de Plume I don't regard Frandinand as silly as it is my wife's maiden surname.Her family live in Nouvelle Aquitaine and I met her whilst I was playing rugby in Brives. It is the region of France which is the most passionate about rugby and we only left when I sustained a career ending injury.

As a consequence we emigrated to Australia and are now both Australian citizens.

As to your bias against the Crusaders it is blatantly obvious and has been commented on by Geoff at The Roar and Nick on this site as well as a number of posters.

Just your last but two posts for example.

A Waikato boy born and bred as are half your stars.

Yep it wouldn't surprise if Razor played every Crusader whose ever signed a Saders contract.

A Mounga style break. So he dropped the ball or kicked it out on the full.


Your lack of self awareness is staggering.

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sebastian06 4 hours ago
Conor Murray: French giants weigh up shock move for Ireland star

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Melissa Holroyd 4 hours ago
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Amy Quillen 5 hours ago
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Amy Quillen 5 hours ago
Conor Murray: French giants weigh up shock move for Ireland star

Earlier this year, I fell victim to a devastating cryptocurrency scam that cost me $79,000 worth of Dogecoin (DOGE). I met a scammer through a Telegram investment group—a woman named “Clara” who posed as an experienced crypto broker. She shared impressive-looking client testimonials and promised a 35% return in just seven days. Her website looked professional, and despite my initial doubts, I eventually transferred 500,000 DOGE, worth about $79,000 at the time.For the first week, everything looked fine—the trading platform showed my balance growing steadily. But when I tried to withdraw my funds, I was told I needed to pay a $12,000 “withdrawal fee.” Clara reassured me this was standard and fully refundable, so I paid it. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning. More unexpected charges followed: a tax clearance fee, a network fee, a security deposit. Before I knew it, I had lost an additional $8,000.I was crushed—emotionally and financially. My savings were gone, and I blamed myself for ignoring the red flags. A friend eventually suggested I reach out to PRO WIZARD GILBERT RECOVERY, a company known for helping scam victims recover stolen cryptocurrency.Although I was skeptical, I was also desperate. I contacted them and provided every detail I could: wallet addresses, transaction history, chat logs—everything. Their team got to work right away. Using advanced blockchain tracking techniques, they traced the stolen DOGE, identified the scammer’s wallet, and worked with relevant authorities to freeze the funds before they were moved any further.Throughout the process, they kept me informed and reassured. After days of relentless effort, PRO WIZARD GILBERT RECOVERY successfully recovered the majority of my stolen Dogecoin. Their professionalism, expertise, and transparency turned what felt like a hopeless situation into a story of redemption.If you’ve been a victim of crypto fraud, I highly recommend contacting them:Email: Email: pro wizard gilbert recovery (@) engineer. comWhatsApp: +1 (920) 408‑1234Telegram: https://t.me/Pro_Wizard_Gilbert_Recovery

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LONG READ
LONG READ Irish provinces in danger of being left further behind, in their own country Irish provinces in danger of being left further behind, in their own country
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