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Prop suing union and doctor for £2.5million

(Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

A prop who had a stroke following an onfield neck injury is suing his former union and the doctor that treated him on the field.

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Former Blue Bulls prop Morne Mellett was forced to retire after suffering stroke following an incident onfield incident in 2015.

He is now suing the union, and team doctor Herman Rossouw, who treated on that day, for R45 million Rand (£2.5million). He claims Dr Rossouw cleared him to play on after the player sustained a hit to the neck.

The prop suffered vertebral artery dissection in July of 2015 and was ruled out of rugby for the remainder of the year. Medical advice suggested that the then 26-year old player call it a day.

A medical report that was read out at court read: “Immediately after the game, Mellett was off balance, couldn’t feel his fingers and was unable to describe to doctors what (was) wrong. A few hours after the game, he suffered a stroke.”

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Mellett’s lawyer described the prop’s dreams have been ‘taken away’.

“His dream to play rugby was taken away in an instant and now he has to walk around with the knowledge that he can die at any moment because of the blood clot,” he said.

The Bulls will contest the case.

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Mellett represented Valke at Craven Week in 2006 and 2007 and started playing for the Blue Bulls U19’s in 2007.

He represented the Bulls in 37 matches in the Super Rugby competition and 10 times in the Currie Cup. He also played for UP-Tuks in the Varsity Cup and represented the Junior Springboks at the 2009 Junior World Championship.

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Nickers 30 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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