Neil Wade's neck bones were crushed in a tackle on Saturday (November 15) and his team mate, Andy Burrows snapped his vertebrae two weeks ago.

Both players, who are in the first team for Haydock ARLFC, were injured in tackles.

Andy, a full-back, had been making a crucial move against a Bold Miners player on November 1. His head went straight into his rival's thigh crushing his neck.

This did not stop the determined 23-year-old and he went on to score a try - sprinting for 30m with a broken neck - and played for the rest of the match despite pleas to stop from his team's physiotherapist and coach.

Fortunately he had broken the fifth and sixth bones; had the breaks been any higher he could have been paralysed.

He said: "They wanted me to come off but I wanted to carry on playing, I had the adrenalin pumping through me and I was in a bit of pain but there was no way I was stopping. It was no one's fault, I made the tackle and I wanted to carry on."

He did not need an operation but he has been fitted with a Halo traction vest. This immobilises his upper body and he has to keep it on for the next three to four months.

The dad-of-one, of Oak Thorn Grove, Haydock, said: "It's pretty uncomfortable and I don't get much sleep but I am thankful that I have no long term injuries, I have had all the scans and they are all clear."

"I am not going to be playing again though, the doctors advised me against it and it would be too big a risk. I have to think of my family."

Neil, 35, of Wyedale Avenue, Haydock, was rushed off the pitch during the team's match against Widnes Moorfield ARLFC. Another prop landed on him as he fell to the floor, fracturing one of his vertebrae.

He said: "I don't want to put other youngsters off from taking part and trying the sport. These were freak accidents and it is highly unlikely that this kind of thing could ever happen again.

"I am just hoping that I can get back playing again, I might need an operation to sort out one of the bones. It needs smoothing out because at the moment it is catching the nerves."

Chairman Frank Bradshaw has been left stunned that the tragedies have hit the club in such a short space of time.

He said: "It's absolutely unbelievable - one broken neck is bad enough but then I found out that Neil had snapped one of his vertebrae, it's just terrible news.

"We have our fingers crossed that both lads will make full recoveries - their accidents have really shocked the club."