Nicolas Chauvin dead: Stade Francais academy player succumbs to injuries after suffering broken neck
Stade Francais academy rugby player Nicolas Chauvin due to injuries suffered while playing, aged 19.
The French teenager suffered a broken neck after making a tackle early in Stade’s youth match at Bordeaux last Sunday.
The injury led to Chauvin suffering a cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen, and despite being taken to hospital to undergo emergency surgery, he sadly died on Wednesday.
A statement released by Stade Francais read: "It is with great sadness that the Stade Francais Paris announces the death of Nicolas Chauvin, young hopeful of the club, who died tonight at CHU Pellegrin in Bordeaux.
"Following an accident at the Espoirs game in Begles, Nicolas suffered a cervical trauma that resulted in cardiac arrest and cerebral anoxia.
"Today, all our thoughts are with the family of Nicolas to whom all the members of the club send their most sincere condolences.
"Stade Francais Paris is in mourning."
French Rugby Federation president Bernard Laporte was among many to offer their condolences, as the former France head coach said: "I address all my heartfelt and profound condolences to Nicolas' family," Laporte said.
"He will remain forever engraved in the memory of French rugby. Solidarity from the Federation and the whole of the rugby family."
It has already been a tragic season for French rugby after 21-year-old Stade Aurillacois centre Louis Fajfrowski died after collapsing in the changing room shortly after being replaced during a match in August. Fajfrowski had been involved in a heavy tackle that forced him off the field, and an investigation ruled an accidental death from “lethal fibrillation”, with a large blow to the chest causing a change to the rhythm of his heart beat.
