Teenage rugby player has arm 'ripped from body' in tackle that changed his life

During a rugby match that lasted just five minutes for Spencer Wadsworth, a ferocious tackle resulted in his right arm being horrifically ripped from his body. The 19-year-old Keele University student from Coventry recollected the fateful moment during an away game in Lancaster: "I remember the pain of the tackle, but I can't remember any of the game. I remember being on the ground and asking where my arm was."

Following the brutal incident, Spencer faced an agonising time filled with severe pain and potent medication. "It is like a really sharp, intense pain that comes in waves. You can't get away from it," adding that a cocktail of Tramadol, antidepressants, and other drugs left him feeling "detached from reality."

Now aged 20, Spencer reflected on his initial recovery period after leaving hospital, which was marred by confusion and forgetfulness: "I couldn't function normally. I was just going through the motions. After three weeks, when I first came out of hospital, it was just awful. It felt like I was in a haze; I couldn't think clearly and couldn't even remember basic things.

"It was brutal. The pain came back, and the mental fog lifted only to reveal how much I had lost. I wasn't a very nice person during that period.

When he was informed that his right arm would be permanently unusable, it didn't initially register. However, as he recuperated at home, the harsh reality began to dawn on him.

"I thought my life was over; that I wouldn't be able to have a career, no one would find me attractive - what am I going to do with myself?" He shared. And he was still dealing with the pain. Doctors contemplated amputation, which Spencer was open to.

"I despised the way it looked, and initially, I thought amputation might be the best solution. But then I realised the technology's improving, and something that might have seemed like a permanent solution could actually be a temporary one," he explained.

Spencer eventually found some solace from the pain and the rumination in running: "It was something I could control. Something that helped me feel alive again."

A few months after the match, Spencer was visited by a representative of the Injured Players Foundation (IPF), an organisation committed to supporting players who have suffered serious injuries in rugby. "I wasn't really up for a visitor. But it was incredible to meet someone who understood exactly what I was going through," he added.

"The IPF offered more than just practical support - they gave me hope that I could get through this. It wasn't just about getting back on my feet physically; it was about understanding how to rebuild my life. They supported me in ways I never thought possible," he said. "They gave me hope when I didn't have any left."

Spencer has since made remarkable progress, relearning how to perform daily tasks such as eating, writing, dressing, and even tying his shoelaces using his left hand. He has gained independence in his life, is dating once more, and is studying biomedical science with the goal of becoming a doctor.

He has also resumed running and is training to compete in the London Landmarks Half Marathon next month to raise money for charity and reflect on how far he has progressed. Moreover, he is keen to emphasize the rarity of injuries such as his, stating that: "I have no regrets about playing rugby and I don't want to dissuade anyone else from the sport."

Spencer attributes this to mere bad luck.

"It's a privilege to be able to run," he summed up. "If I had been injured differently, I could have been paralysed from the neck down. I'm lucky that I can still move both my legs and get out there. Running helps me put everything into perspective. Even running a 5k is still tough for me. I'm gasping for breath by the end of it, but that's the point. I keep pushing myself because I know I'm alive, I'm here, and I've survived."

This article first appeared on .