A 12 -year -old boy recovered at home with a broken shoulder and broke confidence after a dangerous lifting tackle in a junior rugby league match in Sydney left him hospitalized and unapproved to return to the match.
Oliver Campbell, a row of the front for the under 12 of the room, played in a division three match against Kogarah when he was violently thrown on the ground in a high tackle.
The tackle, taken on video, shows that Oliver is raised from the ground and thrown on the side. The referee immediately whistled and Oliver was helped on the ground by an adult.
His father, Peter Campbell, said he since, saying that the boy who had approached his son was clearly too strong for the division and should have been placed in a higher level.
“You can see on radiographs how far its humerus bone has been broken,” Peter in News Corp. “I panicked when I saw how bad it was.”
Oliver was taken to Sutherland hospital, where he spent nine hours in treatment. He is now waiting for a more in -depth assessment at the Sydney Children’s Hospital of Randwick to determine if surgery is necessary.
Oliver was lifted from the ground by the largest opponent (in the blurred area) and slammed in the ground, breaking his shoulder
Oliver, illustrated in the hospital after the tackle, does not want to return to rugby league due to the incident
The young player was prescribed with a strong pain relief, especially Endone and Fentanyl, and could not go to school from the incident.
“Oliver went to the hospital. He is upset and has trouble sleeping because he suffers a little pain, ” said Peter.
“The tackle was doubtful and put Oliver above the horizontal – it’s just luck that he was not fell on his head to be honest.”
From the room launched an internal investigation into the tackle, and the Cronulla Junior Rugby League confirmed that it was aware of the incident. The NSWRL has also been informed.
The responsible player was penalized on the field and can be suspended. However, Peter says that more must be done to avoid similar incidents in the future.
“Children are not so aggressive in division three – that’s why they play division three,” said Peter.
He thinks that the current classification system in the junior rugby league needs urgent reform to better reflect the physics and the capacity of the players.
“Kogarah has no gold or money, but they had these two players who were far above everyone on the field,” said Peter.
X -rays show the extent of Oliver’s shoulder damage, which will require in -depth treatment and recovery
He now calls the Elite junior players to be transferred to teams that correspond to their skills and their strength to ensure a safer competition for others.
“The capacity must be taken into account. If the players are so far above the standard of this division, they must go to other clubs which are in higher divisions.
Peter insists on the fact that he only let an acute play because division three is generally a lower note of intensity. “He will never play in the NRL – he just wants to play for fun. He suffered a blow that you could get in the golden division, “he said.
Other parents and players were visibly shaken after the incident, some room teammates refusing to take another blow for fear of injury.
“All parents are shaken by it,” said Peter. “I have never seen a child being piloted batteries before.
Oliver’s arm is now in a scarf and he should not return to school until he had other medical assessments.
“He has finished, he doesn’t want to go back. I want him to play again but I will not leave him when this type of thing happens.
He thinks that the opposing coach must have known the damage potential: “The opposition coach would be aware that their players were able to tackle like that.”
The owner of South Sydney Party, Russell Crowe, is a defender of weight divisions at the junior level
Penrith Nathan Cleary champion also wants to see juniors playing in weight divisions
The tackle has rekindled a debate on junior foot safety, many parents wondering if they should continue to let their children practice sport.
“My child was deliberately approached yesterday in his match. The player was sining for only 10 minutes, but my child had to spend the rest of the game on the sidelines ” published an online parent.
Another wrote: “If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t let my son play. LCA and meniscus tears. Knee reconstruction surgery at 14 – and 28 years old, he still suffers.
Others called for the return of the weight -based rating in junior competitions, rather than those based on age.
“When my father played the rugby league, he was classified, not age. This is how it should be ”, a comment read. “My son was unconscious by a child triple his weight.
The NSWRL introduced weight and age competitions in 2017, with guidelines setting the lower and upper limits for each age group to promote fair play.
The owner of South Sydney Rabbitohs, Russell Crowe, and the star of the origin of NSW, Nathan Cleary, both expressed support for weight -based divisions to help level the playground.
Cleary previously said: “If you are just broken all the time, it’s not very fun like a little guy.”
An NSWRL representative said: “All our junior leagues have a rigorous rating process that takes place in the first weeks of the competition and this has been the case for many years.
“We have all confidence that the process works well and that it will continue to work well this season.”
Some football fans defended the tackle as part of the game.
“I saw the video … The child who was tackled had a very bad technique,” wrote a commentator. “The plateau has just made a strong tackle.
Another added: “It is a bloody contact sport and whoever signs his child is experiencing the risk.”
