Speedway rider Darcy Ward suffers serious back injury while riding in Poland

Former King's Lynn rider Darcy Ward has undergone spinal surgery after being involved in a sickening crash last night.

Ward – who won the Premier League treble with the Stars in 2009 – was competing for his Polish club Zielona Gora when he was involved in a accident.

Gora officials confirmed this afternoon that the 23-year-old went under the knife for two-and-a-half hours following the high-speed incident. They will release a further update within the next 48 hours on the Australian's condition.

Ward, an asset of Elite League champions Poole Pirates, currently rides for the Swindon Robins in England. The two sides were meant to meet this evening but the fixture has been postponed.

Poole chief Matt Ford, in a statement on his club's website, said: 'The thoughts of everyone associated with Poole speedway at this time are very much with Darcy and I would like to assure everyone that as a club we will do everything we possibly can for Darcy during this difficult time.'

A host of riders including close friend Chris Holder and Lynn duo Rory Schlein and Lewis Kerr – both of whom have sustained serious injuries while riding this year – have posted messages of support on Twitter for the stricken star who is seen as one of the best racers in the world.

For more on Ward, see tomorrow's paper.