Will Geary, now 17, had been playing rugby since he was 5 years old where it all started at his local rugby club in Chippenham where he “fell in love” with the game.
He emphasised how the “community and thrill of playing” kept him hooked ever since he took to the field for the first time.
On 3rd April 2026 Geary was playing in the under 18’s Six Nations for Scotland against Wales in their first match – where every prop’s worst nightmare became a reality for the Scot.
A collapsed scrum caused Geary’s head to get caught under the scrum which resulted in him breaking his neck.
Geary undertook two surgeries in two weeks to stabilise the neck – he also suffered nerve damage in his hands which he is “still recovering from.”
Geary explained how the physical magnitude of this injury has not been the hardest thing to try and get over, rather the mental repercussions as he said, “it shook me up quite badly” causing the 17-year-old to question whether he would ever want to play competitive rugby ever again.
Six months later the prop is on the road to recovery and is looking forward to a swift return next year – he stressed how close he was to turning away from the sport but “watching everyone else play and getting back involved with the team has reminded me how much I love the sport.”
An enthusiastic attitude Geary hailed that he is “buzzing to get back” and that he has “missed it a lot.”
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