Maxwell gashes arm at Super 12 party

Norm Maxwell

Former All Black Norm Maxwell has had emergency surgery after gashing his arm when he crashed into a plate-glass door as the Crusaders celebrated their Super 12 final win at a team member's home.

Players and their partners rushed to Maxwell's aid on Sunday afternoon and applied a tourniquet as blood gushed from his right arm.

He suffered cuts to his muscle, a blood vessel and his forearm.

Maxwell, who missed the Super 12 final because of finger surgery, was taken by ambulance from the home of Crusaders prop Campbell Johnstone and underwent surgery. He was recovering yesterday.

The 29-year-old skipped the team's victory parade in Cathedral Square and may have to delay his departure for Japan, where he is signed to play for the Ricoh Black Rams. He is due to leave tomorrow.

Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach said Maxwell's injury resulted from "a freakish, unfortunate accident" and was not a repeat of the drunken bar-room incident in Dunedin this month after which the former test lock faced charges of assault and threatening behaviour.

He made a $700 donation to charity and apologised, and was let off.

Mr Riach said "quite a few" of the Crusaders were at Johnstone's house. Maxwell was "chasing one of the other guys and playing around".

As the player got to the door, it was shut in front of him and his arm went through the glass panel. "The arm got cut quite badly - both the muscle and a blood vessel."

Riach said there was quite a lot of blood. "I'm not sure if it was life-threatening, but they needed to act quickly at the time."

Maxwell attended a team dinner on Sunday night and was "a bit quiet", Riach said.

"But he's OK. The surgery was successful and has repaired the arm. The surgeon would prefer him to recuperate here and get it right."

Maxwell hit the headlines three weeks ago when he spent several hours in a Dunedin police cell after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a bouncer and threatening bar staff at the Ra Bar in the Octagon.

He is understood to have been drinking there after watching the Crusaders beat the Highlanders on May 7.

He was asked to leave the bar about 4.45am because of his behaviour and level of intoxication.

Maxwell was initially charged with assault, but he wrote apologies to the barman, police who attended the incident and the bar owners.

The charges were withdrawn and he was granted diversion before he was due to appear in court.

- NZPA