Former Rugby Player Jonny Mitchell Dies Aged 30
A former rugby player has died almost seven years after being seriously injured during a match.
North Berwick RFC captain Jonny Mitchell was left wheelchair-bound when he suffered a spinal injury in a scrum during a game against Hawick Linden in September 2005.
The father-of-two died at the age of 30 in the early hours of Monday morning.
North Berwick RFC president Jim Littlefair said Mr Mitchell’s death was a “terrible loss to everyone in rugby”.
Mr Littlefair had helped establish the Jonny Mitchell Trust Fund to help Mr Mitchell and his family deal with the sudden demands of being wheelchair-bound.
He said: “Jonny never once said ‘why me?’ and, as an experienced front row player, he accepted that what happened to him was just a freak accident.
“He was a tremendous character and was passionate about the game of rugby. He always said, if he could, he’d be back training with the team.
“All of our lives changed the day Jonny was injured and he’s been in our thoughts since that day and he will remain there.”
Professional and club players alike joined in the fund-raising efforts for Mr Mitchell and his family, and they also received help from charities Hearts and Balls and the Murrayfield Centenary Fund, which aims to assist players, and those connected with the game, who have been seriously injured.
Scottish Rugby Union President, Ian McLauchlan, said: “Jonny showed such tremendous courage in the face of adversity. He loved the game of rugby and even after his injury didn’t turn away from the sport.
“I’d like to pass on sincere condolences, from everyone at Scottish Rugby, to Jonny’s family for their loss.”
Mr Mitchell is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Same Difference 
You’ve used the term “wheelchair-bound” twice in the same article. The byline says samedifference1. If this was taken from a non-disability centred news source, then please highlight it as such. If it was, in fact, written by a Same Difference blogger, what a disappointment! I really expected better.
Can you please change the article and use a more positive term? “Wheelchair user” would be neutral, more respectful and much more becoming of a trusted disability resource.
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It was taken from the BBC. I share your views on ‘that phrase’ and would never write it!
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That’s brilliant, thanks for letting us know. I knew it couldn’t be your good selves!
Is there any way you can put a rider or “pre-disclaimer” on any articles from external sources, just to clarify in future? If you can include a link to a contact page, we can then point our collective water pistols at the culprit. :))
I’d be happy to help assemble a “go to” list of media sources to link to your blog if you don’t want the hassle of checking contact details every time.
Thanks SO much for providing such a useful, up-to-the-minute and well laid out resource.
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So glad you find the site useful. If there is a source I always link back to it in the first few words of a post. And anything I don’t write myself is in grey, anything else is black. So if you see grey writing and you don’t like what’s written, click the underlined first few words to see who to point your water pistol at!
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