community - 2026-08-06

Warringah Rats rally behind Wes Thomas after spinal cord injury

Source: manlyobserver.com.au

Warringah Rats hooker Wes Thomas is showing signs of improvement after suffering a traumatic spinal cord injury during the club's round 16 match against Sydney University at Pittwater Rugby Park. Thomas underwent surgery at Royal North Shore Hospital the following day, while teammates, supporters and the wider community rallied to help his family meet the costs of a potentially lengthy recovery. The injury occurred with about five minutes remaining in Saturday's match. The Rats were pressing close to the Sydney University try line when Thomas collected the ball from the bottom of a ruck and attempted to drive over from less than a metre out. He was stopped by heavy contact to his neck and shoulder and remained on his back, unable to move, as play unfolded around him. Rats coach Josh Holmes was watching from the grandstand and said the seriousness of the incident was immediately apparent. "Everything sort of stops in those moments; nothing else matters but the guy on the ground," Holmes said. "It was pretty upsetting." Dr Tom Harwood, an emergency specialist at Royal North Shore Hospital, was at the ground and cared for Thomas through his transfer to hospital. Thomas was...