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Schoolboy suffers horrific spinal injury in rugby match



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Published Date: 16 September 2008
By GEMMA FRASER
A TEENAGE pupil at a top city boys' school has suffered a horrific spinal injury during a rugby match.
The 17-year-old boy, who is a pupil at Merchiston Castle School in Colinton, has been transferred to a specialist spinal unit in Glasgow following the serious injury. It is believed the teenager was injured in a first-team school match when a scrum collapsed.

The pupil, who is understood to have been playing in the front row, was injured during a match against Stewart's Melville College at Inverleith on Saturday in the school's first full programme of fixtures.

The game was abandoned after the accident.

The young player was transferred to Glasgow's Southern General Hospital yesterday for treatment.

The Scottish Rugby Union is working alongside the school authorities to ensure the player's family and friends receive the support they need.

The school's first and second teams had started their seasons just days before the serious injury, winning against club sides.

There have been calls to ban scrums from rugby matches following a number of spinal injuries.

In October last year, a 16-year-old was left with a crushed spinal cord that paralysed him from the chest down following a clash with another player during a dive for the ball.

In 2000, a teenager from Barrhead was left paralysed when a scrum collapsed during a match for Whitecraigs under-18s.


The full article contains 239 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 16 September 2008 2:17 PM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Paddi,

16/09/2008 14:13:45
Nasty injury, speedy recovery and the very best to him.
2

Worried Dad,

16/09/2008 14:16:15
Good luck young fella, hope you make a full recovery
3

Zoobee,

Edinburgh 16/09/2008 14:20:42
terrible accident but please don't start the 'wrap them in cotton wool' approach to life which is become far too common.

Banning scrums will ruin the game for everyone - it's a contact sport so injuries do occur.
4

,

16/09/2008 16:50:52
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
5

The Geniune Mario Antionette,

16/09/2008 18:10:43
neck braces/collars should be compulsory items in this agressive, violent activity. Throwing yourself headfirst without protection against opponents doing likewise is plain stupid.
6

googler,

16/09/2008 21:18:13
Just you wait, the faceless health and safety wardens will soon ensure that rugby will be banned at schools, and the pupils will be playing chess, bridge and canasta on sports days.

In five to ten year's time, Heriots will be selling off Goldenacre as a housing development opportunity, as will Stewarts Melville or whichever school owns the pitches round the corner from there on Ferry Road.....

7

Arrow,

edinburgh 16/09/2008 21:47:59
mario
two words first one (4 letters)starts with an F; second word (3 letters) end with an F.
neck injuries in scrums happen when the scrum collapses. the number of such injuries are mercifully rare but nevertheless tragic when they occur. you will be having the guys wearing american style helmets next. they already wear shoulder padding. but a set scrum is not violent and they do not generally clash heads.
agressive/violent? try shinty, hurling or girls hockey now there is agressive and violent.

damn shame and all the very best to the lad.
8

merchi,

edinburgh 16/09/2008 22:27:07
good luck niche hop you make a full recovery. ill be with you all the way.
9

The Super Woofer,

Edinburgh 16/09/2008 22:56:47
I am sure that I speak on behalf of everyone in the rugby community in that everyone will be right there to help wherever they can to help.

In times like these, it proves just how great a sport rugby is and how friendship within the game drives us all forward.
10

Julian.,

edinburgh 16/09/2008 23:25:03
#7 Arrow,

On behalf of Mario,

F off yourself.
11

The Geniune Mario Antionette,

17/09/2008 01:54:17
Why don't you listen to the nuero-surgeons who have to deal with these needless, life threatening injuries ?
12

r1niceboy,

Nebraska 17/09/2008 04:58:25
If you start putting pads and armor on these kids, their weight will increase and the concussive forces of collisions will increase as a result. Look at American football, where hundreds of kids a year are wearing a tenth of their own body weight in pads and that is contibuting to their life threatening injuries.

If you start padding up the competitors, the hits will need to be harder to bring them down, and the resulting injuries will be even nastier and maybe even life ending. How many rugby players at school level are getting cortisone shots, MRIs, chiropractic sessions, and physiotherapy just to make it through their season? In American football at high school level that's exactly what happens.
13

Dave Scott,

Broughty Ferry 17/09/2008 08:12:25
Or how about Rugby League's approach to the scrum? No padding, but the scrum is a virtual non-event which gets the ball back into play very quickly. After all, people really enjoy the running game more than the ponderous, bovine approach of forwards in a scrum.

Keep mauls and rucks and Union's form of line-out - just ditch the scrum. It wastes so much time getting reset, it has too many technical penalties attached to it and it is the major source of serious spinal injury given the collective weights and forces involved.
14

Heidtheba',

London 17/09/2008 10:09:54
NB14 - yes I noticed that this morning.

I'm guessing you have some connection with the school and can completely understand your motives for respecting the privacy of the family at a really difficult time which none of us would want to go through. And I'm absolutely sure the school is doing an excellent job with the family and the other boys.

However, once the news got out, I think it looked a touch insensitive not to refer to it at all amidst all the everyday school activities so I'm glad you/the school reconsidered.
15

Heidtheba',

London 17/09/2008 10:18:05
I see my original comment has been removed. No doubt no 16 will go the same way.....

16

Sedov,

Scotland 17/09/2008 10:52:05
#3&6 Wrong - Rugby League type scrums should be considered which would also speed up what is a tedious and dangerous part of RU.
17

Fidelio,

Edinburgh 17/09/2008 17:27:10
Stupid effing game anyway.
18

Canadian Jambo,

17/09/2008 23:36:21
A 'top' city school? Would money have anything to do with it? What does that make the other schools - bottom?
19

Andy8381,

Edinburgh 18/09/2008 13:43:43
#20- Do you have to insist on bringing the whole money issue with private schools into the article... it's a horrendous accident that could have happened anywhere to anyone- why does it matter if they have money? Move on and spare a thought for everyone connected to the poor guy
20

Ali630,

Perth 18/09/2008 20:52:22
Best of luck mate and i hope you make a full recovery.

These accidents are the most horrific in rugby league. Fortunately they seldom occur.

Again best of luck mate, also to all the family, tell him i hope he makes a recovery.

 

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