Grieving Brumbies under no pressure to play: Friend

[mudskipper]

April 7, 2009 - 10:20AM

Brumbies players struggling with teammate Shawn Mackay's death won't be asked to play the next Super 14 match on Saturday if they don't feel up to it, says coach Andy Friend.

The Brumbies squad arrived home from their three-match tour of South Africa on Monday to news of the tragic death of rising player Mackay in a Durban hospital a week after he was hit by a car.

Friend said the club was still coming to terms with the tragedy and there would be no pressure on players to take the field against the Stormers at Canberra Stadium on Saturday if they didn't feel ready.

"We'll certainly respect every player's view on that, for all of us this is an absolute tragedy," Friend told reporters on Tuesday.

"We've got a lot of young players who've never dealt with anything like this in the past.

"So if players aren't up for playing we're certainly not going to make them play."

Friend said a volunatry prayer group would be held for players at midday on Tuesday and the squad would have a catch up later in the afternoon.



Matt Toomua, Shawn Mackay's housemate, is comforted at Canberra Airport yesterday. Coach Andy Friend, inset, says players who do not feel up to playing on Saturday will not be asked to.


http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...869944556.html

[lara93]

this is fair enough but im pretty sure most of them will want to play to honour shawn but some may not be up to it just yet

[Burgs]

Do they really need to be shoving f*cking camera's in there

[lara93]

i agree burgs

[laura]

Agreed Burgs. On the news last night they showed no respect shoving cameras in their faces. Even SMH's rugby correspondent Growden shoved his microphone right in Andy Friend's face.
At times like these I would prefer if there was no footage and simply a respectful news item that just says what has happened and lets the families, friends, teammates etc grieve in peace.


If they do play it will show tremednous fortitude, but if they don't I think every single person involved in Super14 will completely respect that decision.

[lara93]

they said on the news that every game this weekend will be marked with a minute silence and black armbands