Vest injury prompts Reds to step up welfare criticism

Murray Wenzel | May 30, 2023

Queensland Reds flanker Harry Wilson has blasted referee Brendon Pickerill’s handling of teammate Connor Vest’s scary injury in an escalation of the club’s concerns over player welfare.

Vest spent two nights in a Dunedin hospital after he fractured his neck in a tackle in the Reds’ 35-30 loss to the Highlanders on Friday.

No Highlanders player was citied but the Reds are adamant both tacklers were at fault for the incident, claiming the low man had swept Vest’s legs before Shannon Frizell’s shoulder made contact with his head.

Vest lay prone on the Forsyth Barr Stadium turf but eventually walked off, with the diagnoses after scans revealing the extent of the injury that they’re hopeful does not require surgery.

The Reds were also fuming when Freddie Burns’ shot on James O’Connor wasn’t cited.

The club had already made three unsuccessful requests for retrospective reviews of dangerous tackles on their players to SANZAAR this season and were set to meet with World Rugby to discuss their issue.

Wilson said the latest incident was “ridiculous” and criticised the referee for his handling of the incident.

“We were very frustrated with the referee trying to rush him off the field,” Wilson said ahead of Saturday’s final-round clash with Fijian Drua.

“We thought it was pretty disrespectful to the player who just broke his neck being told to get off the field as if he’s trying to waste time. 

“He was lying down for quite a while, and they (the medical staff) had him in all the positions. There seemed to be a lot of external pressures to get him off the field and he walked off. You don’t know what extra damage that can do.

“Rugby’s really been big on the last few years about player welfare and for us there wasn’t much player welfare there with no-arms tackle on his legs and a shoulder, with no arms, to the head.

“It’s not ideal. Vesty broke his neck … that’s pretty ridiculous.”

He “found it very hard to comprehend” Burns’ shot on O’Connor, who had just returned from a one-game break because of concussion, was not penalised. 

“World Rugby has been really big on stamping stuff out of the game with cards and discipline but this season, game after game, boys seem to be shouldered to the head,” Wilson said.

The bonus-point loss left the Reds in seventh, one point clear of the Highlanders but potentially needing a win in Fiji to secure a finals berth.

Liam Wright (shoulder) won’t play again this season but fellow co-captain Tate McDermott is progressing through his return-to-play protocols and a chance to feature, despite failing his HIA in the first half against the Highlanders.