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Heartbreaking interview from mother of Taylor Gough as Leicester fundraiser reaches £40,000
A justgiving.com fundraising page set-up to assist stricken Leicester back row Taylor Gough has so far raised nearly £40,000 for the 20-year-old who is suffering from paralysis and unable to move his legs following a mid-June road incident.
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Gough suffered multiple injuries, including severe spinal injuries, on the weekend ahead of the squad’s return to phase one training at Oval Park last month and remains in intensive care at Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham.
In a courageous interview on Leicester Tigers TV, Kerry Gough – his mother – has talked about her son’s fight to walk again, a heartbreaking story about a youngster who only ever wanted to become a professional rugby player for the club.
Asked what being a Leicester player meant to Taylor, she said: “Everything. That’s all he wanted… I was driving him to college one morning and saying you really have to knuckle down and he said, ‘I’ll be alright mum because I’m going to play for Leicester Tigers. I’m going to be a professional rugby player… I will make it mum’.”
In a lengthy interview about her son’s current situation, she spoke about her sense of dread arriving at the hospital on the Sunday of his accident. “Absolutely devastating. When we got to the Queens Med we must have waited two hours to even hear if he was okay.
Almost £40,000 has been raised so far for injured Leicester Tigers youngster Taylor Gough, who faces a fight to walk again.
What an incredible effort from the #TigersFamily and #RugbyFamily, worldwide. ? https://t.co/6tagWQBpoW
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) July 22, 2020
“They had to work on him to stabilise him. Then we got told he was being taken up to ICU to ventilate and sedate him. We still didn’t know at that point and I actually asked the nurse when she came is he going to die and she just looked at the floor and said we don’t know.
“To hear that… it was absolutely devastating. They eventually took us in to see him and oh my god, it was the worst thing I have ever had to do to see him lying there wired up to monitors, there must have been 15 people around his bed. It was absolutely devastating, to say the least, something I would never want any parent to ever go through ever.”
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Leicester have rallied around the Gough family since the accident, director of rugby Geordan Murphy explaining: “All of us were impacted, from the playing squad to the backroom, by this news. Taylor is popular with everyone at this club and all of us are thinking of him and his family during this time.
“The club has supported him however we can at the moment and will continue to do so for however long Taylor and his family need.
“His teammates, especially those who he came through the junior ranks with, have had this on their minds during what has already been a challenging period. I can’t speak highly enough about each of them and the way they have shown support and compassion for Taylor and his family ahead of anything else.”
Leicester have already liaised with The Matt Hampson Foundation, who have been in contact with Gough and his family to provide support.
- To contribute to the justgiving.com page raising funds to assist Taylor Gough, please click here
RugbyPass Exceptional Stories – Matt Hampson https://t.co/oBuutPfMXM
— Mark Mullins ? (@Mark_W_Mullins) April 13, 2020
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Comments on RugbyPass
Leinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
42 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
42 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
42 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
13 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
6 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
42 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
13 Go to commentsWowee!
13 Go to comments