Young athlete’s life cut short in shocking ‘chest-to-chest’ collision during game
In a devastating incident that unfolded on the rugby field, 27-year-old Arturas Rudys, a player for Wisbech Rugby Club, met an untimely demise following a traumatic heart injury during a game. The tragic event occurred during a routine “chest-to-chest” contact with another player, resulting in a laceration to Arturas’s heart.
The heart-wrenching incident took place on October 14, 2023, and despite immediate CPR efforts at the scene, Arturas could not be revived. The inquest into his death, presided over by Coroner Elizabeth Gray at Lawrence Court in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, revealed a provisional cause of death as blood entering the chest, a traumatic laceration to the heart, and a sternal fracture. The inquest has been adjourned to a later date for further examination.
Arturas Rudys, originally from Lithuania, had been an integral part of the Wisbech Rugby Club community since 2013. The club, in a tribute to the young athlete, described him as a “hugely valued and respected member.” Following the tragic incident, a GoFundMe page was set up by Arturas’s girlfriend and mother of his child, Jolita Kiseliovaite, to memorialize him. The fundraising page shared the profound grief, emphasizing the challenging time for the family and expressing the determination to live on for their child.
As the rugby community mourns the loss of a promising talent, tributes in the form of flowers and heartfelt messages adorn the Wisbech Rugby Club grounds. A shirt pinned to a tree at the club serves as a poignant reminder: “Arturas our team mate, our brother, our 14 forever.”
The shocking demise of Arturas Rudys underscores the inherent risks in contact sports, prompting a reevaluation of safety measures to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
