The New Zealand Rugby Foundation (NZRF), which cares and advocates for seriously injured rugby players, including supplying life-saving AEDs (automated external defibrillators) nationwide, has launched a new club, The Heart Club, to mark ‘World Restart a Heart Day.’

NZRF Chief Executive, Lisa Kingi-Bon said the newly formed ‘Heart Club’ was a continuation of the NZRF’s long-standing programme of supporting the rugby, and wider community, by supplying and installing AEDs at rugby clubs across New Zealand, so that people had access to the life-saving equipment in the event of a medical emergency.

In 2016, NZRF board member, John "Doc" Mayhew, suffered a cardiac arrest. NZRF President, Andy Dalton, said the former All Blacks doctor would have died - had there not been an AED nearby so that life-saving treatment could be administered without delay. “Our Board wanted to ensure that something good came out of the incident.  So, we set ourselves the goal of installing AEDs at every rugby club in New Zealand," said Dalton.

Of the 480 rugby clubs in New Zealand, 316 clubs have an AED, of which 122 of these clubs have had their AED donated by the NZ Rugby Foundation with the costs amounting to $244,000.  (164 are still required.)

Funding has been provided by the Lion Foundation, NZ Community Trust, North and South, Freemasons Foundation and Mainland.

Dr John Mayhew said he was extremely proud of the NZRF’s effort. “Our AED programme has already gone toward helping save the lives of four people by providing first-responders with access to the life-saving equipment.”   

There are seven cardiac arrests in NZ every day, over 2000 per year and a survival rate of 11%.

As part of ‘World Restart a Heart Day’ the NZRF has launched The ‘Heart Club’.

Andy Dalton said, “The purpose of this exclusive club is to recognise and celebrate the lives of our rugby players, and their families and communities.  The club also provides a peer support group for people affected by heart and other medical incidents.  This is our way of being part of the wider global community which recognises care and wellbeing.”

MEDIA ENQUIRIES or to interview Andy Dalton, John Mayhew or any of the Heart Club members

Lisa Kingi-Bon

021 212 7399

lisa@rugbyfoundation.nz

More information:

This week sees the launch of the New Zealand Rugby Foundation Heart Club.  The purpose of this exclusive club is to celebrate the lives of these players. It also provides a peer support group that they and their partners/ families can check into as much or little as they choose. 

There is not much more powerful than peer support. Imagine trying to explain to someone what it feels like to be clinically dead – and then come back to life. 

2016     The founder member is NZRF Director, Dr John Mayhew

2021     Andrew Bartrum (Te Puna Rugby Club, Bay of Plenty)

2022     Heinrich Fourie (Coastal Rugby Club, Taranaki Rugby Union)

2023     Shaheen Amod (Suburbs Rugby Club, Auckland Rugby Football Union)

2024     Bevan Mather (Massey Rugby Club, North Harbour)

In May 2022, Heiny, in his early 30’s, a husband and father of two collapsed after finishing a drill while at a Coastal Rugby training session. Within five minutes, the man's teammates were able to grab the AED from the clubrooms and use it. “At first, they thought I was playing a prank – my captain looked over and was yelling at me to get up. They heard a weird noise and realised something was not quite right”.

“Our coach Trent came over and said, ‘Right boys he’s having a heart attack – time to get into CPR’”.

In the team, there were a number of trained surf lifeguards, and they quickly knew the importance of starting CPR, and providing breaths as they were located 30 minutes from emergency services responding – and they needed to get an AED fast. “Our coach told the boys, ‘I don’t care what you do, kick those doors down”.

The club had received an AED the week before as a donation from the NZRF and they were still deciding where to put it, so it was in a locked office in the club. The team kicked down two doors and found the AED. “Our coach told the boys, ‘I don’t care what you do, kick those doors down”. (resus.org.nz)

In June 2023, Shaheen Amod, 36 years old, suffered a heart attack and was out for 17 minutes before the ambulance arrived to begin resuscitations including five shocks try and regulate my heart.

“The lead up, passing out, I cannot remember anything. I still cannot recall the initial period being hospitalised. I do remember some days in hospital pre-op but not much. Due to short term memory loss of the brain suffocating for the 17 min I was out. If it wasn’t for my rugby team who stood in a line waiting to perform CPR on me one after the other, with a nurse on the side line directing them, and the quick response from the ambulance I would not be here today. I am forever grateful. The NZRF stepped in when my young family needed support. My wife, Ayesha says she was at a loss and confused at some point when the stress for taking care of bills, household, being a first-time mother to three-week-old baby girl, no income, and so much more of life’s responsibilities that fell on her became her reality. We are overwhelmingly thankful to the NZRF for the support they offer in such a crucial and traumatic time for families in sport.

We have not been able to speak out about the incident yet but wish to thank everyone involved who saved my life and helped my family through the hardest time.”

This year in May, Bevan Mather suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Massey Rugby Club at Silverdale and was resuscitated.  Courtney explains, “I ran to assess what was wrong, noticed his breathing was laboured and he was struggling for breath, I turned him on his side. Meanwhile Bevan’s son had called for his mum (Kyla, who is a registered nurse) to come and help. Tom an 'Intensive Care Paramedic’ - off-duty, came on to assist. They were accessing his situation when he lost all his vitals and stopped breathing. Tom and Kyla started CPR. Bevan’s son ran to the Silverdale Rugby Club to retrieve the much-needed AED. Jade from the Silverdale sideline came in to assist with CPR and help with the defibrillator, they gave him one shock and continued to work on him until the first responders (Silverdale Fire Brigade) arrived, followed by three St Johns crews including an Emergency Medical Technician who took over, he was able to intubate Bevan and stabilise him on a ventilator.  He was transported to Auckland Hospital in a critical condition."

 He has recovered well!!

On behalf of Silverdale it's great to hear that such an initiative has been kicked off to provide peer support for those affected by cardiac incidents around our community rugby clubs.  We wish the NZ Rugby Foundation all the very best with the initiative as it provides an important connection for those individuals and families who have been affected by cardiac events.

Regards

Hugh Goddard

Chairman

Silverdale United Rugby & Sports Club

Article added: Wednesday 16 October 2024