Matt Hampson
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Matthew "Hambo" Hampson (born 29 November 1984 is an English former
rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
prop who became paralysed from the neck down (C4/5
tetraplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or ...
), after a scrummaging accident when practising with England under-21 squad in March 2005. His condition requires permanent use of a
ventilator A ventilator is a type of breathing apparatus, a class of medical technology that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathi ...
to breathe. Hampson took up rugby as a 5-year old for Oakham, joining
Syston RFC Syston Rugby Football Club is an England, English rugby union team based in Queniborough, Leicestershire. The club run four senior sides, a vets, colts and all age groups from under-7 to under-19. The first XV currently play in National League 2 ...
when he was 12. He joined
Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home ...
academy at the under 16 age group and was made an apprentice for the 2001/2 season. He was regarded as a promising prop and although he had not made his Leicester debut he had been an unused bench replacement. He had played both for
Bedford Blues Bedford Blues are a semi-professional rugby union club in the town of Bedford, England, currently playing in the RFU Championship. History Foundation and 19th century Bedford RUFC was founded in 1886 after an amalgamation between Bedford Rove ...
and Nuneaton R.F.C. while on
loan In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the deb ...
. He had also played for England U18 and
England U21 The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is the national under-21 association football team of England, under the control of the Football Association. It is considered to be the feeder team ...
.


Training accident

Hampson's accident happened on 15 March 2005 at
Franklin's Gardens Franklin's Gardens (currently known for sponsorship purposes as cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens) is a purpose-built rugby stadium in Northampton, England. It is the home stadium of Northampton Saints and Loughborough Lightning. The stadiu ...
, when the England U21 team were preparing for an under 21 Six Nations match against Scotland. In what he described as a freak accident, a
scrum Scrum may refer to: * Autozam Scrum, a microvan and pickup truck sold in Japan by Mazda * Line of scrimmage, line separating football teams before a play * Media scrum, an impromptu press conference, often held immediately outside an event such a ...
collapsed and dislocated his neck, severing his spinal cord. Referee and former paramedic
Tony Spreadbury Antony John "Tony" Spreadbury (born 28 March 1962 Bath, England) is a retired international rugby union referee. In his earlier years, he attended Beechen Cliff School, in Bath. He refereed at the 2003 Rugby World Cup and has been professional ...
was praised for his quick reaction to stabilise Hampson's neck, saving him even further damage that could have resulted in his death. Hampson was taken first to
Northampton General Hospital Northampton General Hospital is a district general hospital in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England. It is managed by the Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. History The hospital was established in a townhouse on George Row in 1744. After ...
and then to the specialist spine unit at
Stoke Mandeville Hospital Stoke Mandeville Hospital is a large National Health Service (NHS) hospital located on the parish borders of Aylesbury and Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, England. It is managed by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. It was established ...
, where he had an operation to relocate his spine. He spent 18 months in Stoke Mandeville, where he contracted a life-threatening ''
Clostridioides difficile infection ''Clostridioides difficile'' infection (CDI or C-diff), also known as ''Clostridium difficile'' infection, is a symptomatic infection due to the bacterial spores, spore-forming bacterium ''Clostridioides difficile''. Symptoms include watery di ...
.


Charitable work

Hampson divides his time between raising money for spinal care both for himself and others, and UK charity Spinal Research, coaching youngsters at
Oakham School Oakham School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school) in Oakham, Rutland, England. The school was founded in 1584 by Archdeacon Robert Johnson, along with Uppingham School, a few miles away. They share a common b ...
,
physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...
sessions and has written columns for Rugby World magazine, The
Leicester Mercury The ''Leicester Mercury'' is a British regional newspaper for the city of Leicester and the neighbouring counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The paper began in the 19th century as the ''Leicester Daily Mercury'' and later changed to its pre ...
and International Rugby News. He is particularly supported by his sister Amy, her boyfriend Adam Wheatley and former England U21 captain Matt Cornwell. In 2011 the Matt Hampson trust gained full charity status and became the Matt Hampson Foundation. Matt works with the foundation to provide advice, support and relief for anyone suffering serious injury or disability which has arisen from any cause, but in particular from participation in or training for any sport, sporting activity or other form of physical education or recreation. Matt regularly visits beneficiaries, schools and societies where he gives advice and motivational talks taken from his own experiences. Hampson was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in the
2021 New Year Honours The 2021 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...
for voluntary and charitable service, and received his award from the
Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...
in a ceremony at
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...
in February 2022.


Get Busy Living Centre

Hampson's ambition was to create a dedicated physical rehabilitation centre for sufferers of serious injuries through sports-accidents, resulting in life-changing conditions with long-term effects including permanent disability, to help them to recover to the best of their abilities. An upstairs gym area has therapy space and equipment, with ground-level refreshments and a community space for participants to spend time with their families and to share experiences. A garden area provides a social space outdoors. Work started in November 2016 on the site of an old aircraft hangar in countryside at
Burrough on the Hill Burrough-on-the Hill is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Somerby, Leicestershire, Somerby, in the Borough of Melton, Melton district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. It is north east of Leicester. The par ...
, near
Melton Mowbray Melton Mowbray () is a market town in the Borough of Melton, Melton district in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, Leicestershire, River Eye, known below Melton as the Rive ...
,
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...
, England, and the new facility was opened officially on 2 October 2018. Long-term plans are for more Get Busy Living Centres elsewhere in England, and possibly another abroad. Two wheelchair-accessible lodges at the Centre were completed in 2022, providing self-contained accommodation for newly-injured competitors and their families or carers.


Publication

A
biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...
, written by
Paul Kimmage Paul Kimmage (born 7 May 1962) is an Irish sports journalist and former amateur and professional road bicycle racer, who was road race champion of Ireland in 1981, and competed in the 1984 Olympic Games. He wrote for ''The Sunday Times'' newsp ...
with much of it in
autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
form, was published in 2011, entitled ''Engage: The Fall and Rise of Matt Hampson''. It was shortlisted for the 2011
William Hill Sports Book of the Year The William Hill Sports Book of the Year is an annual British sports writing award sponsored by bookmaker William Hill. It was first presented in 1989, and was conceived by Graham Sharpe of William Hill, and John Gaustad, founder of the Sport ...
, despite not being longlisted. It was however awarded the 2011
William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year The William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year was an annual Irish literary award sponsored by bookmakers William Hill. Established in 2006, it was related to the International William Hill Sports Book of the Year (est. 1989). The award sought t ...
. It was subsequently awarded the "Autobiography/Biography" category of the 2012
British Sports Book Awards The Sports Book Awards (previously National Sporting Club Book Awards then Telegraph Sports Book Awards) is a British literary award for sports writing. It was first awarded in 2003 as part of the National Sporting Club. Awards are presented in ...
and went on to win the "Best Overall" award. The book is highly critical of the standards of care he initially received from the
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
, and the attitude of the
RFU The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It prom ...
, which contrasts with that of the
Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home ...
board.


References


External links


Home site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hampson, Matt 1984 births English rugby union players Leicester Tigers players Living people Officers of the Order of the British Empire People with tetraplegia