Death of Kenyan rugby player

Aberdeen Skikoyi

Captain of the Kenyan women's rugby team Aberdeen Shikoyi has died as a result of injuries she received during a game last weekend.

Reports from the match against Uganda say she was hit in the spine during a tackle  - kneed - and then hurt again during a scramble for the ball just after that, some stories saying another player then stepped on her neck.

A statement from the Kenya Rugby Union said: "The KRU confirms the death of Aberdeen Shikoyi. We and the entire rugby fraternity are thankful for her service, dedication and leadership offered to the game of rugby and is saddened by her passing on. We also pay tribute to Uganda Rugby Union and the medical teams in Uganda and Kenya who ensured that she received the best medical treatment possible."

We all love rugby and other contact sports because there is that risk of danger, that edge to playing the game but it's always tragic when someone crosses that line. It can so easily happen. I know many people with almost-serious-injuries and some who have died doing what they loved, and you probably do too.