Paralysed rugby star loses his battle for life

Star rugby player Robert Hickland died yesterday.
Family surrounded the New Zealand under-17 and Feilding High School first XV fullback when he died in Christchurch Hospital intensive care early yesterday, his grandfather Neil Hickland, of Clareville, said from Christchurch Airport yesterday afternoon.
Mr Hickland and his wife Aurea had been watching from the sidelines when their grandson fell awkwardly and was left paralysed with a broken neck after a one-on-one tackle during a game against Rathkeale College first XV near Masterton on June 28.
He said the death of his grandson, who received a broken fourth and fifth vertebra in the incident, is the best result from a bad list of likely outcomes.
"We were all praying for it in the finish if it got to the question we would have asked for the plug to be pulled but it never got to that, thank God," Mr Hickland said.
He said Robert failed to fully regain consciousness throughout his hospitalisation and died from respiratory complications that led to renal failure.
He had been declared a tetraplegic and was on life support up until he died, Mr Hickland said.
He and his wife were flying back from Christchurch yesterday after travelling from Clareville last Tuesday and Mr Hickland said it had been "a pretty rough week up and down".
Their grandson was taken to Wairarapa Hospital after falling injured during the Rathkeale match before being flown to Christchurch Hospital, where he had desperately fought for life over the past two weeks.
Loved ones surrounded Robert as he died, Mr Hickland said, including fellow Feilding High School pupil and girlfriend of 3? years, Rachel Goss.
Mr Hickland said he was prepared for the worst at the outset and would remember his grandson as "a good, fun-loving kid who was no trouble".
"As soon as we saw the scans we were prepared for the possibility that at the very least he would be a paraplegic.
"He would have been lying on his back for the rest of his life with nothing but memories & in the finish it was obvious his lungs and everything were shot," Mr Hickland said.
Robert, who played fullback, had been tipped as a future All Black and near-certainty for the Hurricanes Junior team and was a key player in the Feilding High School first XV.
He had also been named in the New Zealand under-17 development squad.
Mr Hickland said Robert had been named in the New Zealand under-17 Development Squad and was also selected for the under-19 New Zealand touch team.
His grandfather said he began his rugby and athletics careers in Wairarapa at Featherston Primary School, which he attended for two years.
Doug Laing, Robert's uncle, said yesterday the past week had been "getting bleaker and bleaker and bleaker" as his nephew's condition deteriorated.
He said Robert's parents, Mike and Pepe Hickland, had been enduring the bedside ordeal with very little sleep and are now "physically shattered".
"They are particularly concerned for the well-being of the player who tackled Robert and they're desperate to let him know that absolutely there is no fault or blame resting on him."
He said the couple are utterly indebted to the medical staff who fought in vain to keep their son alive and amazed at their unstinting devotion to his care.
The body of their son is returning home to Feilding today and his funeral will be held at Feilding High School on Friday pending further arrangements, Mr Laing said.