High school rugby resumes on P.E.I. following Brodie McCarthy's death

High school rugby games will resume on P.E.I.

Games had been cancelled last week out of respect for Montague Regional High School student Brodie McCarthy, who died after a head injury suffered during a school rugby game.

Phil Bridges, school sport coordinator with the P.E.I. School Athletic Association, says it's been a difficult weekbut players are wanting to get back to the sport that they love.

"Last weekwe suspended play and we felt that was the right decision. It gave our students a chance to step back from competition," he said. "They were still permitted to practice, which most teams did, and it gave them a chance to support one another through very difficult times."

McCarthy was weeks from graduating when he was playing in the David Voye Memorial rugby tournament in Summerside.

He was injuredin whathas been describedas "a normal rugby play," though he collapsed shortly afterwards and later died after surgery in a Moncton, N.B. hospital.

Last weekwe suspended play and we felt that was the right decision. It gave our students a chance to step back from competition. Phil Bridges,P.E.I. School Athletic Association

His death shocked the rugby world as teams came together from across Canada and beyond to honour McCarthy.

"We constantly have conversations with our schools and our teamsand they wanted to get back to the field to play the sport they love," Bridges explained.

"Many of them train for months to play the sport of rugby. And they were ready to get back on the field and resume the schedule."

Championship upcoming

He said teams won't be making up the games that were cancelled, so it will be a shorter season than normal.

Each team will play two or three more games before the end of the month with the championship game scheduled for June 6 at UPEI. Montague won't be playing the rest of the season.

He said he believes that some players are no longer playing this season.

"Like every sport that we offer, it's always a choice on whether you want to participate or not, and we certainly understand anyone that has made the decision ...not to finish the season," he said.

TheNew Brunswick coroner's office is the investigating agency in the death. Summerside police have assisted by gathering information from officials, coaches, witnesses and possibly players, but they stressed it is not a criminal investigation.

In an e-mail to CBC, the New Brunswick Justice and Public Safety Department confirmed that the coroner's investigation is ongoing, and that in accordance with the Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act, there will be no public disclosure of the results.

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