The concern is growing. Severely hit during a tackle during a match between the reserve teams of Roquefort (Landes) and Sainte-Livrade (Lot-et-Garonne), a 3rd line Landais is still hospitalized since Sunday.
According to France Bleu, Jean-Paul, 32, has the fifth and sixth vertebrae broken, which has the consequence of compressing his spinal cord. This Tuesday, his vital prognosis is also unfortunately still in progress.
Evacuated from the field in a helicopter after a tackle without a ball at the very end of the game, the player then explained that he no longer "felt the parts of his body", according to La Dépêche. He underwent a first major spinal cord surgery at the Pellegrin hospital in Bordeaux. The 30-year-old is placed on respiratory assistance and sedatives.
More and more dramas on the ground
The president of the Roquefort club, Serge Berdet, who visited his player, did not hide his concern from France Bleu, explaining in particular that the condition of Jean-Paul's spinal cord, already very damaged before the accident , complicated the operation. Bernard Laporte, president of the French Rugby Federation, also contacted the club to support him.
Rugby is trying to find solutions to lower its level of danger and avoid the increase in this type of accident observed in recent years. A little over a year ago, the death of Nicolas Chauvin, a young player from the Stade Français, had particularly moved.