A rugby league player woke up in hospital after being knocked unconscious by a single punch on a night out, a court heard.

Callum Phillips, a Workington Town hooker who has previously represented Scotland, needed stitches, X-rays and scans after he was struck in the centre of Workington.

Conor Paul Irving, 22, has pleaded not guilty to an allegation that he assaulted Mr Phillips, causing him actual bodily harm.

Irving has gone on trial at Carlisle Crown Court.

Mr Phillips gave evidence to a jury yesterday about the build-up to an incident which occurred at around 3am on March 20.

The previous day he had played for Workington Town in a game away at Leigh Centurions. He travelled back with the squad, who stopped for a time in Keswick for drinks before returning to west Cumbria.

Having also consumed lager during the return journey, Mr Phillips admitted he was “on my way to being drunk”.

Before heading home, he visited a Workington nightclub before spotting a friend at a takeaway.

“I was wearing my full Workington Town match day attire,” Mr Phillips told the jury. “A pair of jogging bottoms, a polo shirt and a rucksack. I can briefly remember just talking to him (the friend), just saying about going to the taxi rank.

“That was the last thing I remember. I woke up while I was getting stitched in Whitehaven hospital.”

He received eight stitches to the inside of his mouth, and almost half a dozen to his head. He also underwent X-rays and scans to his jaw. No injuries were detected, however, and he was discharged from the hospital that morning.

Mr Phillips admitted he could not recall being struck, nor any conversation at all with Irving that night.

“I was knocked unconscious. It is blurry,” he said.

He admitted there had been a previous problem between his brother and Irving, but stressed he had nothing to do with that himself.

CCTV footage which captured the incident was played in court. This showed Irving initially, with his arms folded, talking to Mr Phillips, whose hands were in his pockets.

Irving was then seen to step back before striking Mr Phillips, who fell to the ground and remained motionless.

The court heard that Irving, of Brierydale, Salterbeck, Workington, denied assaulting the player. Instead he claimed to have acted in self-defence, believing he would be attacked by Mr Phillips.

The trial continues.