Last year’s surprise finalists, the Lions, are hard at work preparing for the 2017 Super Rugby season. One man though who isn’t part of the squad is prop Julian Redelinghuys, who will sit out the year after breaking his neck in the Currie Cup semi-final against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in October. Rugby writer Jacques van der Westhuyzen spoke to him about what lies ahead
“At least I’m being productive and contributing,” says Julian Redelinghuys, when asked how things are going.
“I’ve just finished building a cot and my father and I also had to sort out the patio. The good news is I can use my left arm again and begun running. I’m 3000% better than I was,” he said with a chuckle.
It’s only three months since Redelinghuys suffered that horrific neck break Carrying the ball and looking to get his team back into the contest in the 44th minute, the 27-year-old clashed with Cheetahs’ hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld.
“I immediately felt pins and needles,” explains the burly prop. “I hoped it was concussion, but then realised I could hear everyone clearly and ... that isn’t the case when you’re concussed. I tried to move my limbs; my mom always said I should move something so she could see I was okay. I couldn’t feel anything on my left side, nothing moved ... especially my hand.
“My whole body was lame. That’s when I began to worry. I knew something wasn’t right. I started to pray.”
Redelinghuys was taken to a Bloemfontein hospital where he was stabilised and an operation to fuse his vertebrae at C5 and 6 level was done.
“For two-and-a-half months I couldn’t move my left arm 30 degrees. My bicep was done and my shoulder too.
“But now I’m finally feeling better and there’s an improvement in my condition. I can lift 5kg above my head and my neck feels better. It’s still very stiff ... but then props always have stiff necks.”
Redelinghuys’ recovery has been remarkable but he’s still unsure whether he’ll play rugby again. He’ll visit his doctors in Bloemfontein next week - orthopaedic surgeon Peet van Aardt and neurologist Daniel Hugo - who he says “will give me a realistic report on my progress. It depends on them whether I can think about playing again.”
The problem is this was not Redelinghuys’ first neck break. He broke his neck at C6 and 7 while a youngster at the Sharks in 2008. “I was 19 and a fusion was done then as well,” he says.
“What happened then was I had what they call a collapsed disc, but now they actually had to take a piece of my hip bone, do a graft and bolt my neck together again.
“Of course there’s now greater risk to me getting badly hurt. But I first want to try to get everything strong again before any decision is taken on my playing future. No doctor has yet said ‘it’s not a good idea’ to play again, but too soon to say.”
The only thing on Redelinghuys’ mind right now is the imminent arrival of his and his wife Sumari’s first child, a daughter due on February 16.
“My left arm will be strong enough then to hold her. We can’t wait.” It’s having a family and being “productive” around the house making Redelinghuys wonder about his future. “I definitely want to play again. There’s still so much I want to achieve and do. I have a huge passion for rugby and want to be part of the process to rebuild the Boks to be a world force again. But, I am about to become a father, I have a wonderful wife ... I do not want to die on the rugby field or be paralysed.”