It’s been a hellish month for stricken Beverley rugby star Craig Hancock – but the local lad is still smiling and full of optimism.
Craig, 25, of Chestnut Drive, Beverley, suffered an horrific broken leg in the dying seconds of Beverley ARLFC’s Ray Speckman Cup Final victory over Cottingham Tigers last month.
Two weeks spent in hospital, five operations, a skin graft and weeks of pain and discomfort have followed for Craig.
He’s had to miss out on exams and coursework at university, pull out of a summer holiday with his mates and put on the back-burner plans to work and pay off some of his student debts.
But despite facing seven months in a cage holding his leg together, Craig’s indomitable spirit and refreshing outlook on life make him an example for anyone to follow.
HU17.net met Craig sitting at home with his leg up and his family’s two dogs for company on the kind of beautiful summer’s day you wait all year for.
But was he feeling sorry for himself? Nothing could be further from the truth.
He told HU17.net: “I am relying on others a hell of a lot and it does get frustrating because you want to be self-sufficient and not bother other people and not having them run around after me.
“I have stayed positive ever since I did it, it’s unfortunate and especially happening 15 seconds before the end of the game, but we won the match, which is one positive thing, and there are worse off people than me.
“I am grateful that I am not as bad off as some people in the world.”
Memories of the fateful day at Haworth Park are still vivid in Craig’s mind.
The run to the line with Beverley leading 28-18 with only seconds to go, the loud crack that reverberated around the ground and the sight of his own leg bent around his tackler’s leg are all still fresh.
“I was looking for support and twisting and, it was the winger or full-back, his bodyweight fell on my trailing leg and the one thing I can remember more than anything is a loud snap,” he continued.
“I felt no pain at that time and I looked down thinking: ‘That’s my leg, I’m sure it is’.
“As I was falling to the ground I can remember my leg wobbling about. I can remember being in a bit of discomfort because my leg was the wrong way. Then is seemed everyone knew straight away. From what I gather, a lot of people heard the snap and they couldn’t come anywhere near me because they knew something was up.
“But then thankfully a good few people came across and reassured me and they told me not to look. I have been told that the kid that did it was sick.”
In the two weeks that followed, Craig endured a series of unpleasant operations. In a macabre twist, he has pictures on his mobile phone of every stage of his recovery.
His worst moment came the following day at Hull Royal Infirmary when no amount of painkillers could stop the excruciating pain. It turned out he had Compartment Syndrome, with pressure building up inside his leg leading to, according to one definition, pain out of proportion to what is expected.
Doctors had to slit his calves from just below his knee to just above his ankle, and such was the scale of the operation it was difficult to stitch his leg back together. The scars are highly visible.
He was later moved to Castle Hill where he had a skin graft from his thigh to cover the wound left when a bone protruded from his leg – such was the nature of the injury that he even had a piece of his sock embedded in his shattered leg.
Now back home, he is having to rely heavily on his mum Eileen and dad Martyn to help him around, and the generosity and support of his friends.
And he was quick to show his gratitude to everyone who has helped him through these painful times.
He continued: “Everyone has been absolutely fantastic and I could not wish for better friends. Just the support I have had through Facebook and texts and people coming to visit me, it’s been far greater than I thought it would be.
“I am very lucky to have them in my life. It was hard spending that much time in hospital but I looked forward to visiting times because I had people emailing me or texting and seeing if they could come and see me.
“I really have appreciated everything they have done for me, with sending cards and best wishes and bringing me food. I would like to thank them all.
“I found out about the Clash of the Codes and big thanks have got to go to David Worrall and Rich Shaw for organising that and hopefully that will be a good day and I am really looking forward to that.”
Craig is currently studying for a sports degree at Hull University, and his ambition is to become a secondary school PE teacher.
He knows it will be a long, hard road back to fitness and getting back to playing again for either the blue and golds or Beverley RUFC, for whom he played most of the season.
But he is determined to make it back and show what he has to offer both codes in the town.
He added: “I plan to play again – I don’t fancy retiring at 25 from something I love!
“I am not the best watcher as it is, but next season I will have to just watch from the sidelines for the whole season. It could be up to 15 months before I play again.
“I started walking on it the day after because I’m not one of those people who can just sit around all day like a couch potato. I want to speed up my recovery as much as I can and by doing exercises and weight-bearing on it and doing what I am asked I don’t see it being a problem.
“They said with regards to getting playing again you are looking at well over a year. Although I want to get back as soon as possible I’m not going to risk anything.
“There’s no way I want to be put back in the situation I was in where I am going through that again.”
Craig Hancock at Beverley Races earlier today
