Club player dies after fatal tackle
NEWS: South African club rugby player Kyle Barnes has passed away following a fatal tackle.
Barnes, who played wing, was injured during the Super League C encounter between Goodwood RFC and Strand RFC at Gustrouw Sports Grounds in Strand on Saturday, September 15.
It is an horrific situation for the family, especially his wife and children, and also for the club where he had captained the firts XV.
Johan Vorster, the chairman of Goodwood RFC, is quoted in Die Burger as saying that Barnes bent down to pick up the ball when he was tackled. It is thought that the tackler made contact with his neck. A video of the match shows no foul play.
It would seem that he had been injured in the first half and was attended to.
After the second incident he left the field and an ambulance was requested. This did not happen and so the paramedics at the ground took Barnes to Vergelegen Mediclinic in Somerset West. He was still conscious when he set out for the hospital.
There the 31-year-old underwent an emergency operation to relieve the swelling and pressure on his brain at Somerset West Mediclinic, but on Tuesday morning, September 18, he was declared brain dead. The life support was switched off on Thursday, September 20.
The Western Province Rugby Union (WPRFU) hosted Barnes’ family at Newlands on Thursday, where his twins Caylib and Caylin were presented with bicycles for their eighth birthday. The entire Western Province Currie Cup squad and management were also present to brighten the twins’ birthday.
