Welsh side Dragons RFC have revealed that talented back row player Shane Lewis-Hughes has successfully undergone surgery to amputate a finger on his right hand.
After suffering from the initial break eight years ago, which left him struggling to close his fist, the brave Welshman finally had the finger removed after complaining of “unbearable” pain this year. Telling the tale of his initial injury, during a training session in 2016, Lewis-Hughes said:
“We had a contact session, I made a tackle and my finger went underneath someone’s stud, and the ball ripped out.
“I went to the hospital and they said there was no internal damage. They popped it back in, but gradually over the years it started just bending more and more, and it was starting to get in the way.
“But again, it didn’t have an effect on the rugby at all, it was a little bit painful but no effect on the rugby.
“It got to a point in 2020 when the pain started getting really bad, and then in 2021, when I had my shoulder surgery, I made the decision to have my finger fused because I got recommended to have it done.”
With his injured finger swollen to twice the size of the others, he demonstrated to the camera how even bending his fist had become a struggle. While treatments temporarily eased the pain, the finger continued to be a source of trouble both at work and in his personal life. From snagging it on cupboard doors to getting it caught in t-shirts, the 27-year-old faced constant challenges.
Recalling matches against Connacht and his former club Cardiff as pivotal moments, the 6’3″ back-row player emphasised how the injury had begun to affect his performance on the field.
“In the Connaught game, the pain started getting really really bad. The pain was just unbearable. The only way I can describe it is like a really bad toothache and someone constantly stabbing a knife into it.”
“I made a tackle and stubbed it and during the game [Against Cardiff], I was unable to perform and do my job, like I couldn’t grip anything properly. Every time I went in for the jackal, the pain was just horrific and it had a massive impact on my performance.”
Speaking ahead of his surgery, the three-cap Wales international said:
“It will have a massive impact on my life going forward, I won’t be in pain anymore. I’ll be able to do my job properly, I won’t have to worry about catching it or stubbing it.
“It was either, have it off, or you won’t be able to play rugby any more.
“I had to have it off anyway because I was told if it keeps getting infected, I’m also at risk of losing my hand and possibly my arm if it travels further up, so yeah it’s quite a big deal.”
🐉𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗬 | Back row Shane Lewis-Hughes has today successfully undergone surgery to amputate a finger on his right hand.
Shane tells his story below as he prepares for a return to action soon 💪#WeAreGwentRugby pic.twitter.com/vmMSUkojlY
— Dragons RFC 🐉 (@dragonsrfc) December 6, 2024
Looking happy and relieved after the operation, he told the camera: “Surgery was a success, I spoke to the surgeon and he said it all went well so he’s expecting a full recovery, which should only be a couple of weeks.
“Nine fingers now”, he laughed.
“But yeah, looking forward to living a pain-free life now and getting back to rugby as soon as possible.”
🐉 The recovery starts now ⤵️🔥 pic.twitter.com/tIjFB2a8uz
— Dragons RFC 🐉 (@dragonsrfc) December 6, 2024
Shane Lewis-Hughes bio
Shane Lewis-Hughes made the switch from Cardiff to Dragons ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The versatile back row who can also play in the second row has been an ever-present for Dragons so far this season, scoring his first try for his new region against Benetton in October.
Pontypridd-born Lewis-Hughes is a product of Coleg y Cymoedd and played for both his home-town club and Cardiff RFC before going on to make 68 appearances for the Cardiff region.
To date, Lewis-Hughes has won three caps for his country, following his debut against Scotland in October 2020.
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