Ottawa teen dies after head injury in high school rugby match
Posted May 13, 2013 11:54 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The family and friends of a high school rugby player in Ottawa are mourning after the 17-year-old died from a head injury suffered in a game last week.
Rowan Stringer, who declared on her Facebook page in 2012 that “Rugby is Life,” took a hit to her head in a game May 8 and never recovered. She died Sunday night in hospital.
Her family kept her on life support until some of her organs could be donated, said a spokeswoman for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board.
Students at John McCrae Secondary School were told the news as they returned to class Monday morning. Students and staff were offered support from a crisis management team.
The Grade 12 student was captain of her rugby team and had played the sport extensively.
In light of the tragedy, all sports at the school have been cancelled until further notice.
Rugby Canada CEO Graham Brown offered condolences to the Stringer family, but in a statement did not talk about the dangers associated with the often bruising sport.
“Now is the time for all of us to come together and support the Stringer family as they deal with this terrible loss,” said Brown.
“We will provide updates on how the Canadian rugby community can support the Stringers.”
The school board said also extended condolences to Stringer’s family.
“Our school community is in mourning and together, we will support each other in this time of need,” the board said in an online statement.
