By apb & Heads
March 16 2005

As if it wasn't bad enough already! We learn today from Heads, our good friend in South Africa, that Rayno Gerber - TykesRugby's 2005 sponsored player and top of our all time sponsored player's try scoring list (!) - is definitely out for the rest of the season.

Contrary to popular belief, this was not an injury sustained exclusively at the London Irish semi-final game. The fact that he was named in the line-up for the Wasps game and then subsequently withdrawn has seemingly put that one to bed.

Heads tells me that Rayno had been feeling discomfort in his neck and shoulders but didn't think too much of it. Typical of a rugby forward you might argue; nothing would ever stop him playing short of being run over by a steam train!

However, in this modern day and age, we have so much more information at our fingertips, so much more in the way of medical expertise at the club level, and - especially with neck discomfort in props - its prudent to use what's there to find out exactly what's gone wrong.

So we hear that there is a little swelling between the 6th and 7th vertebrae, and he therefore needs to rest to see if it'll come down of its own accord. After three weeks he'll be seen again, and a decision can be made as to whether he needs an operation or not. If the answer is "Yes", then there would be a long recovery period that would see him return (hopefully) to full fitness in time for pre-season training next season. If the answer is "No", he'll need to rest until it's fully healed of its own volition.

On the upside, Rayno has been one of those players who rarely gets injured and when he does he recovers fast and well, so never fear, the big man will return!!

Lets just hope the rest of the squad can keep us in the Premiership so he has something to return for...

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