College 7s Championships

Cal Coach Releases Statement On Injured Player

Cal Coach Releases Statement On Injured Player

Cal rugby head coach Jack Clark speaks out on the injury to player Robert Paylor.

Jun 3, 2017 by Alex Goff
Cal Coach Releases Statement On Injured Player
Cal head coach Jack Clark has released a statement in regard to injured player Robert Paylor.

Clark has previously declined to comment on the injury but released a statement on Friday to answer media questions about the injury.

Here is his statement:

"I'm here with our team in Philadelphia at the Collegiate Rugby Championship 7s [CRC] and I've had several media requests to speak about Robert Paylor and our team's effort to win our fifth consecutive CRC.
 
The media have been very gracious in allowing me to decline those interview requests, as it is a very difficult time for Robert, his family and our team. I'm hopeful that this statement will begin to provide the information the media and dedicated rugby press have sought.
 
As has been reported, Robert was injured May 6 in the early stages of our Varsity Cup championship match with Arkansas State. Robert's spinal cord injury has resulted in significant paralysis. He's had an operation to stabilize his spine, after which he battled the onset of pneumonia, high blood pressure and difficulty swallowing, resulting in the necessity of a feeding tube.
 
Robert's injury was preventable. It was the result of illegal foul play. There is end-goal video footage as well as photography that makes this indisputable. Those materials are now in the hands of USA Rugby, which has opened an investigation into the incident.
 
Throughout this truly difficult period, Robert has been a champion, battling every day to restore his health in order to be cleared by doctors for the next stage of his rehabilitation.
 
On June 1, Robert was transferred from his Santa Clara hospital by way of a medically equipped private aircraft to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado. Craig Hospital is a world-renowned spinal-cord injury rehabilitation facility.
 
Throughout this injury, Robert's faith has remained unbelievably strong. He is a courageous individual with an elite work ethic. If anyone can make gains through rehabilitation, it will be Robert.
 
Our team and university are navigating new ground with a catastrophic injury of this type. We gave serious consideration to withdrawing our participation here at the CRC, but in the end, we decided it was important to meet all of the team obligations we had earlier accepted.
 
Although we are here in body, our hearts and spirit are with Robert.
 
I have been asked if we will dedicate our performance at the CRC to Robert. I think the answer is complicated. On one level, rugby is trivial by comparison. We love Robert well beyond a rugby context. Robert wakes up and answers a very difficult bell every day. Rugby's significance pales in comparison to his challenges.
 
I am proud our players have had the will to push through their emotions and bring this season to a conclusion. I suspect that without Robert's courage, our team would not be able to participate this weekend.
 
I would like to thank the media again for their understanding of my and our team's limited availability.
 
We would like to thank everyone for their concerns, hopes and prayers for Robert. He's in for a long road and our team plans to be with him every bit of the way."