A student from Marist Brothers High School suffered serious injuries while playing rugby on Saturday when the crossbar at the Suva Grammar School grounds fell on his head.

Savenaca Domoni, a member of the MBHS Under-17 side, claims he was treated with ice and sent home despite complaining of dizziness after the injury.

His guardian Dr Richard Tavo, a medical doctor at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva, says the impact of the bar could have killed the player.

“This could have been life-threatening because we are talking about the brain. The injury could have been much worse. He could have bled from inside,” Dr Tavo said.

X-ray images show a large swelling behind Domoni’s skull.

Dr Tavo said he was disappointed and concerned that Domoni, who received medical treatment nearly six hours after the injury, was not sent to the hospital immediately.

Dr Tavo kept Domoni under observation at the CWM Hospital for 24 hours after learning about the nature of the injury. He said he had informed the school management about the incident.

Both he and Domoni claim the same bar also fell on a child during last week’s competition.

“When players injure their heads, they shouldn’t be sent home. They need to be kept under observation 24 hours, which is standard practice,” he said.

“The injury wasn’t a sprain or a cut where you just apply ice and it goes away. There is a dent at the back of his skull so what we’re worried about is swelling around that area.”

Domoni says he is scared to play at the ground again and wants the competition to be moved to another location for the safety of all players.

The school-side crossbar on ground 1 gave way and fell on Domoni’s head, he says.

The 17-year-old also claims the match officials wanted to continue the game despite the injury, but his team decided to walk out.

He says two other players on the Marist team suffered injuries from the crossbar.

The incident happened in the second half of Marist’s Vodafone Fiji Secondary Schools Deans Rugby southern zone competition Under-17 match with Nasinu Secondary School, which started around 12.30pm.

Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Association president Napolioni Silatolu refused to comment on the incident and referred all questions to his secretary.

Another association executive who was recording results on Saturday, Jiutasa Moceisui, declined to comment.

Suva Grammar School principal Segran Pillay said he was aware of the incident but would only comment after receiving a written report.

Edited by Epineri Vula

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