British Soldiers injured in Afghanistan and currently undergoing treatment at the Primary Care Rehabilitation Facility MOD St Athan have been given a hospitality box at the Millennium Stadium for Wales RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland on Saturday, by the Welsh Rugby Union.
The soldiers, who count among them Lance Corporal William Woodgates, who survived being shot four times when a local policeman turned on him and his party in November, were invited into the Wales team room at the WRU national centre of excellence earlier this week and spent time meeting players and watching training.
LCpl Woodgates, who is from Skelmersdale but lives in Wales with his partner, described his ordeal to the players, depicting how five of his colleagues were killed by a rogue Afghan policemen.
The soldiers had been patrolling at a police checkpoint in the Nad Ali district of Helmand Province when the gunman opened fire, killing five and injuring a further five soldiers including the Lance Corporal.
“It just shows that people actually care and are thinking about the soldiers who have been injured,” said LCpl Woodgates.
“You can’t imagine what it’s been like for the soldiers but little things like the players taking time out to meet you make your day and give you a real buzz.
“I’ve been to the Millennium Stadium a couple of times for the rugby and we are all very much looking forward to the game this weekend.”
The visit to the Wales camp was organised by St Athan physiotherapist Dot Perkins and Wales team manager Alan Phillips.
“When we heard some of the stories from these lads who have literally put their lives on the line for the country it had a profound effect,” said Phillips.
“The least that we could do was invite them into our camp and, after listening to them, the players wanted to make sure the soldiers had a hospitality box on Saturday and the WRU have come up trumps.
“It really puts into perspective all the passion and the patriotism you have for your country as a sportsman and the sacrifices you make, its nothing really in comparison to what these boys are doing for the nation.”
And St Athan physiotherapist Perkins says the rehab work the soldiers do will also compare to the training and effort a top sportsman has to put in to prepare for an international.
“It’s been fascinating to see the intensity of the training sessions in the Welsh camp and it’s been a real motivational factor for these soldiers,” said Perkins.
“They report in for rehab every day and they are basically ‘beasted’ each day in order to get their muscles back in order.
“Someone like William who has injuries to his legs and back will work hard one day on those problem areas and then on his rest day he’ll be ‘beasted’ again on his upper body – it’s the only way to get the body back working again after what they have been through.
“They report every day wearing their gymn kit and they all have the three feathers emblazoned on their chest so that gave me the idea of getting in touch with the national team and seeing if they can help out.
“The response has been brilliant, not only did these four soldiers get to meet some of their heroes but we have a hospitality box for the game so we can bring some of the other guys down as well.
“They have to turn in every day to do their work and physio and sometimes the chins can drop, so things like this will really do wonders for their motivation and mental health and we can’t thank the WRU enough.”
The injured soldiers and medical staff who visited the Wales team this week and who will join their colleagues in a Millennium Stadium hospitality box on Saturday are:
- Noel Godfrey – Director of Rehabilitation, Primary Care Rehabilitation Facility (PCRF) MOD St Athan
- Dot Perkins – Physiotherapist PCRF MOD St Athan
- Sergeant (Sgt) Steve Young – 1 Welsh Guards – injured by Improvised Explosive Device
- Lance Corporal (LCpl) Jamie Evans – 1 Welsh Guards – injured by Improvised Explosive Device
- Senior Air Craftsman (SAC) Jamie Dobson – Royal Air Force – injured by Road Traffic Accident
- Lance Corporal (LCpl) William Woodgates – 1 Grenadier Guards – suffered Four Gunshot Wounds
