Welsh rugby match called off after player sustains worrying neck injury amid wait for an ambulance

A Welsh rugby match was abandoned after an injured player was left waiting nearly three hours for an ambulance.

Ystalfera's Championship clash with Pontypool was called off before half-time after Arwel Thomas sustained a neck injury coming down awkwardly when competing for the ball in the air. The home side were trailing 7-0 when the match was paused after just 32 minutes of action.

Thankfully, the work of physios from both clubs, Ystalyfera's Natalie Hawkins and Pontypool's Adam Brown, ensured Thomas was kept comfortable and safe for the wait. Scans later on Saturday night showed that he'd suffered no serious injuries.

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"It was a one-on-one aerial contest," explained Ystalyfera's rugby manager Damian James. "Our winger and their winger went up for the same ball and he just came down and landed awkwardly on his neck. It's just an unfortunate incident. Both physios attended the pitch straight away and felt they weren't in a position to move him.

"We left the game for half an hour to see what was what. We had a timescale of four hours for the ambulance, but it came in around two and a half hours. They were in contact with us throughout. We were shocked in relation to it being a neck injury and the position the player was in.

"We have got a good setup in the club with physios. Natalie's qualified quite highly. Pontypool had a doctor watching so he came over, was asking Arwel how he was and relating that to the ambulance so I think that's why he came quicker.

"In fairness to the referee, he's quite level-headed and he said straightaway that safety came first. No one was in a position to move in and all the protocol was followed. We were all in