The 'heartbreaking' Twitter reaction to harrowing Cattigan story

An extraordinary interview with the family of the late Siobhan Cattigan, the Scotland women’s rugby player who died in November 2021 at the age of 26, has generated a huge reaction on Twitter. The harrowing piece in The Sunday Times recounted how the back-rower suffered repeated head injuries and ultimately passed away eight months ago, resulting in her family joining the brain injury lawsuit against World Rugby and other governing bodies.  

“As time went by, I likened it to dementia because I couldn’t think of anything that would change a personality so massively, something that completely alters you as a person,” explained Morven, the mother of ex-Scotland player Cattigan, in the compelling newspaper interview. “Siobhan was crumbling before our eyes and something catastrophic had happened in her brain.”  

Her father Neil added: “What I’ve said to a couple of my closest friends is that I’m broken and I can’t be fixed. The man they knew is no longer alive. That’s how I am, it’s how we are. I have lost the better part of me, and it’s broken my life.

“Morven has lost her soulmate, the girl she loved more than life itself, and Marc’s lost his wee sister. Ann’s lost her partner. We’ve lost our hero. We will never be the same again. We don’t want to be because if we didn’t feel this pain, we wouldn’t have loved her as much as we do. That’s why we struggle to live, we’re just existing.

“Now I know what was wrong, now I could have told Siobhan what it was. If I was a doctor, I would have known. If I knew guys who had suffered this, they could have tapped me on the shoulder and told me, but I didn’t. We always thought we had tomorrow. They fixed her broken bones but turned their backs on Siobhan’s broken brain.

? EXCLUSIVE: It was Siobhan Cattigan’s dream to play rugby for Scotland. She died just three years after that dream came true. For the first time, her grief-stricken family and partner tell her story https://t.co/JC6RWhHqri

— Times Sport (@TimesSport) July 30, 2022

“Believing it was avoidable, knowing that you trusted people you shouldn’t have trusted, it just compounds my guilt. Part of my plan was to work for 30 years, pay into my pension, retire, see the world, make sure the kids are OK. None of it matters anymore. We’ve lost such a vital part of ourselves, the best part of ourselves. It feels wrong that we’re here and she’s not.

“I was the one who brought rugby into this family, and the reason why she started playing was because she was with me. Rugby gave her the happiest days and memories – and ultimately rugby is why she’s not here.”

The anguish of the Cattigan family has understandably ignited many reactions online. Progressive Rugby, the concussion awareness group, tweeted: “Just 26 and so much life to live. It’s impossible to read Siobhan Cattigan’s story and not question how this was allowed to happen. And feel angry. Angry at the confusion, desperation and isolation her family endured as she crumbled before their eyes.”

“As time went by, I likened it to dementia,” Morven says, “because I couldn’t think of anything that would change a personality so massively, something that completely alters you as a person” pic.twitter.com/6Uk9THERmu

— Times Sport (@TimesSport) July 30, 2022

Just 26 and so much life to live.

It’s impossible to read Siobhan Cattigan’s story and not question how this was allowed to happen.

And feel angry.

Angry at the confusion, desperation and isolation her family endured as she crumbled before their eyes.https://t.co/jZhbIPnbpa

— Progressive Rugby (@ProgressiveRug) July 31, 2022

Siobhan Cattigan story of what happened to her on a phone call in January with her father Neil was one of the hardest conversations I had in my life, she suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury playing for Scotland (Not a Sports Concussion)this can never happen again ??????

— Alix Popham (@AlixPopham) July 30, 2022

The SRU's default response in moments of crisis is to deflect, attack the messenger, dig out the whitewash. That simply won't cut it this time. I hope they appreciate just what is at stake here. Perhaps then some basic human empathy can belatedly emerge https://t.co/IfCKqBtOnk

— Mark Palmer (@MarkPalmerST) July 31, 2022

Every report of a rugby player suffering from brain damage is devastating. And then there is this one about Siobhan Cattigan. A tragedy to make you weep. https://t.co/3KZs6f6yOD

— Peter Jackson (@JackoRugby) July 31, 2022

This devastating, agonising story on the late Siobhan Cattigan by my colleague @DavidWalshST demands a comprehensive reaction from SRU. https://t.co/r5qiZCL24D

— Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) July 31, 2022

Heartbreakingly sad, solidarity and strength to those that knew and loved Siobhan Cattigan, she sounds like a proper warrior woman, xhttps://t.co/OlmjIQP9rR

— Le_Sorelle_Arduino KPSS (@Sorelle_Arduino) July 31, 2022

@DavidWalshST ‘s heart rending, and scarcely believable story on Siobhan Cattigan and the @Scotlandteam ‘s shocking treatment of this amazing young woman makes for devastating reading.

— Baz Ryan ?? (@ryan_baz) July 31, 2022

This is utterly heartbreaking. There must be an urgent independent review of how Siobhan & the Cattigan family were treated by the SRU.

We’ve talked on the pod before about how the SRU have been ahead of other unions in dealing with brain injuries but maybe that’s not the case https://t.co/ubeyAUWAQg

— Scottish Rugby Podcast ????? (@ScotRugbyPod) July 30, 2022

Felt sick reading this, a disgrace the way Siobhan Cattigan and her family have been treated.

Utterly heartbreaking. https://t.co/elfvSA4a3G

— Rory Hamilton (@rory_hamiltonnn) July 31, 2022

@DavidWalshST A great article on Siobhan Cattigan and one that shames a lot of people. A shocking way to treat a young person and their family.

— Gary Forbes (@garyforbes_gary) July 31, 2022