‘Little can be done to make rugby safer’

Press, 3 June 1989, Page 1

‘Little can be done to make rugby safer’

By SARAH SANDS A West Coast man who broke his neck playing rugby believes little can be done to make the game safer. Robert Smith, aged 20, of Blaketown, was playing hooker in a senior reserve match against Kiwi, of Hokitika, on April 15, when the accident occurred. “When the scrum went down I felt my head hit the opposition hooker’s heh.d and my neck broke on the impact,” he said. “I heard a very loud crack then everything went numb for what seemed like ages, but was

only a couple of seconds, and it felt like I floated to the ground.” Five rugby players and one rugby league player have been treated for neck and spinal injuries just a few weeks into the 1989 season.

The assistant director of the Christchurch Spinal Injuries Unit, Dr Allan Bean, has called for steps to make the game safer. But Mr Smith does not know if this is possible. “I played the game knowing this could happen. You’ve got to expect these things when you

go out there. It’s a game where accidents occur,” he said. “I really don’t see how it can be made safer unless you did away with the scrums, but there are people in here (the spinal unit) who have played league, which hardly has scrums.”

On the day of his injury, Christchurch Airport was fogbound, so Mr Smith’s arrival at Burwood was delayed for several hours.

“Once here, my neck was put in traction for the bone to straighten out but that didn’t work, so they put me under to

straighten it.” Mr Smith reacted to the anaesthetic and, when a lung collapsed, was in intensive care on a respirator for 12 days. He remained in traction for six weeks and for the last week has been trying to get into a wheelchair. “I’ve had a chest infection and I’ve not really been eating, so I’m a bit weak and have not been able to get into the chair. Hopefully next week I can start to sit up.”

The broken neck has left Mr Smith a tetraplegic. He has full

shoulder movement, biceps but not triceps, and some wrist movement.

“It’s enough to be able to drive a car and work things. I’ll be able to feed myself and be semi-independent.” Mr Smith, who works for the Inland Revenue Department in Greymouth, expects to be off work for about a year, but had been told his job will be waiting for him.

The Housing Corporation has a house renovated for wheelchairs in Greymouth and Mr Smith hopes this will be available.