Tragedy of textbook tackle rugby player

A rugby-loving father-of-two was killed by a freak accident while making a "textbook" tackle during a match, an inquest heard. Andy Boulton, aged 43, suffered a head injury.

Mr Boulton, who was playing for Warley rugby club, tried to bring down Burntwood player Richard England in the second half of their game in the Staffs Merit League. Mr Boulton collapsed after his head hit the hip of former fireman Mr England, causing a brain haemorrhage that led to Mr Boulton's death in hospital the following day.

Mr Boulton, a maintenance fitter at Albright and Wilson from Queens Drive, Rowley Regis, was taken to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton following the incident at Burntwood on March 21.

Mr England told the inquest in Wolverhampton yesterday: "He came runn-ing towards me, had his arms out in front, and came in at waist level.

"We were both running and hit each other. He moved his head to the right as he tackled and it hit around the area of my right hip.

"I managed to break through the tackle and carried on up the pitch. Then play was stopped and I looked back to see that he was still on the ground."

Warley second team cap-tain Carl McGrath, 41, said that Mr England had been running with the ball.

He said: "Andy was the first point of contact and put in the tackle. It was textbook stuff – low down, waist high and with his head out of the way.

"The other player just dropped his shoulder and used his weight as all the coaching manuals tell you to do. Then we saw that Andy was still on the ground."

Consultant pathologist Dr Manel Mangalika, told the inquest: "A blood vessel had been ruptured – not by the impact but as a result of the motion of the brain against the skull.

"This can be caused by the sharp twisting of the head or when somebody runs fast and suddenly stops. This is not very common."

Wolverhampton coroner Mr Richard Allen said: "Sadly the uncommon happened." He recorded a verdict of accidental death.