Springbok hospitalised after collapsing following plane trip home

Springboks No 8 Evan Roos had to be hospitalised on his return to South Africa after collapsing on arrival back home in Johannesburg from a flight from the UK according to a report by South African publication Netwerk24. 

The 22-year-old Eighth man started at the back of the scrum for South Africa in their final end-of-year-tour clash with England at Twickenham with Jasper Wiese unavailable with the clash outside the international window.

He suffered a broken rib during the clash but played on through the pain before being substituted in the 53rd minute, before a brief return to action for the final eight minutes.

Roos was on pain medication following the Test match before his collapse led to a rush to the hospital in an ambulance to undergo testing.

“I started feeling dizzy when I was sitting in the living room and collapsed on the way to the bathroom. It felt as if my eyes wanted to close and I couldn’t stand up,” Roos told Netwerk24.

“At least there was nothing wrong and he said it was all right if I got on a plane. I went back to the Cape on Tuesday evening.”

The Stormers young loose forward was assessed by a lung specialist to ensure that no damage had occured, before being eventually cleared to fly again.

Roos put the episode down to a combination of a lack of food with the medication which caused his body to ‘reset’.

“I think the pain, exhaustion, together with me eating little and taking pain pills, had quite an effect.

“I think it was already too much and then my body decided it had to ‘reset’ now. Everything just came to a point.

“Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. It sounds bad, but when I think back now, I haven’t been on holiday in a long time.”