Australian rugby players quarantined after flu scare

Nine representative Australian rugby league players, including national team captain Darren Lockyer, have been quarantined by their clubs after one contracted the H1N1 influenza virus.

Queensland forward Ben Hannant contracted the virus after last Wednesday's State of Origin match against New South Wales in Melbourne and the Queensland team doctor ordered players to be quarantined for 72 hours, local media reported.

The Brisbane Broncos had six players quarantined, while three players from the North Queensland Cowboys and two coaching staff were also missing from training on Monday with their clubs.

Queensland and Broncos skipper Lockyer told reporters in Brisbane on Monday that he and the five other players from his club had been taking the Tamiflu medication as a precaution.

Last Wednesday's match was played in the state capital of Victoria, which has 395 confirmed cases of the 502 that have been confirmed nationwide in Australia.

The flu, a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses, has infected nearly 22,000 people in 69 countries and killed 125, according to the World Health Organisation. 

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