Schoolboy airlifted to hospital after rugby clash

Jan 9 2007 By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

A SOLIHULL teenager was today being treated for concussion after a dramatic airlift from a school rugby field.

The boy, believed to be aged 13, was involved in a clash of heads during a match at the Heart of England Secondary School, in Gypsy Lane, Balsall Common, yesterday afternoon.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service rapid response vehicle was first on scene, followed by the Warwickshire and North-ants Air Ambulance.

A service spokesman said: "The youngster had been playing rugby when there was a clash of heads.

"The crews at the scene were concerned that the lad had suffered a neck injury. They took no chances and used a neck collar and spinal board to immobilise him.

"The helicopter was particularly useful given the ground conditions."

The teen was flown to University Hospital, Coventry, where scans and x-rays were clear. The boy is now being treated for concussion only. The other player involved did not require medical attention.

No-one was immediately available for comment from the school or Solihull local education authority.