FORMER Chippenham centre Tom Crockett will find out today if he needs surgery on a head injury sustained playing for his new club on Saturday 28 September.

Crockett, 24, was knocked out while scoring his first try for new club Walcot Old Boys in their 31-14 win over Gordon League in the Western Counties North Division at Lansdown.

He was unconscious for several minutes but actually returned to the fray after coming round.

His mother Karen, who only came home from holiday in Greece on Sunday, said: "Someone asked him if he was okay to carry on and he said yes. He went back on but he was just running round in circles so they brought him off again.''

He was taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath and kept in overnight for observation.

He was discharged again on Sunday morning but late that evening felt unwell. His partner Amber Edenbrow took him back to the RUH on Monday morning.

His mother said: "At first Amber was told he had had a brain haemorrhage and needed to be transferred to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol where they specialise in head injuries but there wasn't a bed available. It was very stressful for all of the family because we couldn't get anyone at the hospital to tell us what was happening.''

Eventually he was diagnosed as having a haematoma on the outside of the brain, which is not life threatening. "The doctors have told us that he will make a full recovery. We will know on Thursday whether the bleeding has stopped and if he will need surgery to correct it,'' said his mother.

Crockett played for Chippenham for five seasons and weighed in with a number of crucial tries as the Wiltshire side clinched the runners-up berth in South West Two East .

His younger brother Rupert took over as captain from Scott Sherratt in the summer, but Tom left the club to play for Walcot.

Former skipper Sherratt said: "We're all keeping in touch with how he is doing through Rupert and are just hoping he'll get better.

"The season didn't start that long ago and you still see him as a Chippenham player, even though he has left. A lot of the lads still see him on a social basis and it brings it home to you what a tough game rugby is when something like this happens."

Crockett's 20-year-old brother Alex took the man of the match award for Bath on Saturday in their 21-21 Zurich Premiership draw with local rivals Gloucester.

The young England B international replaced the experienced Kevin Maggs at centre, and coach Nigel Melville could stick with the same side when Bath visit champions Leicester on Saturday.

He said: "I would find it very hard, based on that performance, to leave Alex Crockett out."