South African schoolboy Martin Groenewald snapped his leg in two places during a match that was televised live across the nation at the weekend. It was horrific to see, but the good news is that the 18-year-old has since had surgery and is recovering well.
Grey College (Bloemfontein) vs Grey High (Port Elizabeth) is one of the oldest fixtures on the South Africa schools calendar, dating way back to 1929 when the two sides first met.
There were thousands on hand to watch the occasion at the weekend, but unfortunately post match it wasn’t the 50-28 Grey Bloem victory everyone was talking about, as Groenewald suffered arguably one of the worst leg injuries seen in rugby.
Tackled by his opposite number, the lock landed heavily as his right leg buckled beneath him and the pressure of the two players caused a severe break in two places below the knee.
Groenewald, who has reportedly signed a contract with the Blue Bulls, broke his tibia and fibula.
It was clear for all to see, and apparently hear, as the referee stopped the match instantly and players from both sides turned away in shock after realising what had happened.
Medics rushed the field and he was treated on the spot before being moved into an ambulance and rushed off to Bloemfontein Mediclinic for further treatment.
The resultant surgery was a success and he was due to be released today, but will take up to four months to recover, and then will need to start a rehabilitation program.
“I spoke to Martin’s father this morning and it seems the operation was a success,” said Grey High coach, and former Cheetahs lock, Rory Duncan. He added that assistant coach Tim Fraser had seen Martin after the operation.
“Tim says he was in a certain amount of pain but it was slightly alleviated by the fact that he had 20 Collegiate girls next to his hospital bed.”
If you’d like to send a message of support to Martin, you can leave a comment below or tweet him
PLEASE NOTE: The leg break, and the few minutes that followed, can be seen below for those that are interested. The first fifteen seconds are not recommended for sensitive viewers.
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