A North East rugby star has revealed he has lost a testicle after suffering a freak accident while training.

The Newcastle Thunder player Jack Johnson revealed on social media that he had undergone emergency surgery after the body part "exploded."

The well-known player, who was a tryscorer in Newcastle Thunder's 24-24 draw with Dewsbury last Sunday, updated fans on Friday.

Read more: This is what happened in Redcar earlier as air ambulance was on scene

Seeing the lighter side of things, he joked that he would actually weigh lighter following the horror accident and promised he would be back in action soon.

He tweeted: "What a load of B*****s. Not my greatest Thursday ever, with the old testicle exploding at training.

"Had it removed last night. Will be back soon just a little bit lighter #OBJ And as the saying goes RL wins again xx P.S does the swelling stay asking for a friend."

On social media, he moved to clarify the more gruesome details of his injury, confirming he had ruptured the body part during training.

However, he was met with hundreds of messages from well-wishers, hoping for a speedy recovery and for the player to get back to it.

Such injuries are not uncommon in the rugby league with Warrington  Wolves' Paul Wood losing a testicle during a collision in the Super League Grand Final.

Meanwhile, another Warrington Wolves player Jack Hughes ruptured his during a match.

Read next:

Three teenagers dead in horror crash as police confirm first details

Darlington village business closes its doors for the final time as shop emptied

Woman's devastation as dog dies after being stolen and set on fire in County Durham

If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here