Heavier rugby opponent successfully sued for £10 million
Posted on 13th March 2023 at 14:53
A huge settlement has been won by personal trainer and rugby player, Dani Czernuszka, who was left paralysed from the waist down after Natasha King crashed into her in an act of ‘revenge’. As a result Dani is now a paraplegic and will need to use a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
The injury occurred in October 2017 when the 28 year old mother of two was playing her first competitive game in a match between her own side Redingensians RFC and rivals Bracknell Ladies.
Following an earlier tackle the defendant was heard to say that she was going to “break” Ms Czernuszka. The Court heard that a little later Ms King executed a “belly flop” during a rolling scrum with her full weight landing on Ms Czernuszka while pulling her legs.
The judge said that Ms King has gone out to hurt her opponent that day and this led to the life changing injuries that Ms Czernuszka suffered. The judge commented that "These actions are not those of a responsible rugby player. In my opinion, it was a reckless and dangerous act and fell below an acceptable standard of fair play."
Ms Czernuszka commented after the judgement "Sport has always given me great pleasure in life, and I don't blame the game of rugby for what happened that day. Ultimately, I feel I was let down by improper and poor behaviour from the opposing player, coaching staff and the referee." Ms Czernuszka now plays para ice hockey for Team GB.
The payment is estimated to be in the region of £10m but will be assessed at a later date.
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