Donations

Dylan Rees
A cheque for £7,500 was presented by JPR Williams.

Dylan, a PC from Northern BCU, was critically injured whilst playing rugby in March 2013 and sustained massive head injuries as a result.

Dylan was playing centre for Clwb Rygbi Cymru Caerdydd – Cardiff’s Welsh language rugby club – when he collapsed after a tackle just 40 seconds before the end of the game.

He was concussed but conscious when match officials called an ambulance as a precaution while the game continued.

On the way to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Dylan even asked: "Did we win?"
Unfortunately he suffered a serious brain bleed and underwent an emergency operation before going into a coma.

He remains at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and his prognosis is extremely poor.
Dylan is 36 years of age and was raised in Cardigan, West Wales. After completing his 'A' Levels, Dylan went off to university and attained 2 degrees before deciding that neither medicine nor physiotherapy were for him! Instead, his chosen career was policing and he joined South Wales Police on 1st September, 2009.

Dylan was posted to the Taff area and based on Team 3 at Pontypridd. Such was his competency that he was asked to supplement Team 5 and to undertake training to become a Tutor Constable after only 3 years' service. Sadly, before he had the chance to become a tutor, he sustained his injury.

Connor Hughes
Connor’s rugby career started in Earlston with the Blue Eagles and carried through to Merchiston Castle School (Connor was there on an academic scholarship where he thrived in the male and very much rugby focussed environment. He was their youngest ever player on the Rugby First XV and did well throughout Merchiston, achieving good exam results and other extra-curricular accomplishments, earning a place at Stirling University to study Sports Science. Connor subsequently changed to Accounts and Business after deciding he wanted to make enough money to set up and run his own gym and fitness centre promoting his own personal brand of dedication, exercise and overall wellbeing.

Before taking up his place at University, Connor went off for seven months travel; he explored New Zealand and Hong Kong and squeezed in bungee jumping and the Hong Kong 7s, back in time for the birth of his niece, Ava Grace.

On the 13th September 2014, in his first rugby game of the season, Connor sustained an injury to his C5 and C6 vertebrae which damaged his spinal cord. This was a life changing event, leaving Connor Quadriplegic with no sensation from his shoulders down.

After the initial treatment on the field at the rugby game and also at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Connor was transferred by Police escorted ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Unit at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow. He underwent intensive reconstructive surgery on his cervical vertebrae and started the long rehabilitation process.

Following a series of fundraising events and donations, including £3,000 from The Voyagers, Connor attended the Project Walk facility in San Diego during January and February 2015 and started his intense exercise recovery training programme. For further information and to keep up to date see http://www.connorsjourney.com/about/

Paul Barker
South African-born Paul Barker left Stourbridge Rugby Club in 2006 and spent the rest of his professional career playing for Esher until moving to Effingham & Leatherhead in 2012.

A burley, six foot seven South African, Paul was an outstanding second row, with a phenomenal work rate to match.

However, during a friendly game for Effingham and Leatherhead, Paul suffered a serious leg break. Following surgery Paul embarked on the long road to recovery, only to return to hospital almost a year on as he was still suffering with leg pains. What followed was to change Paul's life forever.
Doctors found a cyst in Paul's leg, which was actually a rare form of an aggressive cancer called Fibrosarcoma. The cyst had broken, causing the cancer to spread up his leg.

Following more tests, frank conversations and a second opinion, Paul had his left leg amputated from above the knee, to save his life. But as with most cancer treatment, it didn't stop there, as Paul is currently in and out of hospital as he receives intense chemotherapy.

There has been an understandable desire from the people who know him to support him and a fund has been set up in an effort to raise £50,000 to obtain a state of the art prosthetic leg. At an event in April 2014 at Twickenham, The Voyagers, represented by Nige Connell and Julian Davies, presented a cheque for £4000 - http://murderballrugby.com/

Jack Fishwick
Jack is 26 years old and earns his living as a self employed sports rehabilitation therapist. He has played rugby all his life; captained his university, captained his county, his club team were u17 national champions having previously reached the last 16 of the Daily Mail Cup and played semi professional rugby with Ealing Trailfinders. He is a natural sportsman and in recent years has done a lot of surfing.

On 8th March 2014, Jack was playing for Wimbledon RFC against Haywards Heath when he was trapped under a ruck and sustained a fracture dislocation of 5th cervical vertebra with full spinal cord damage at that level . This was orthopedically stabilised in a 14 hour operation at Haywards Heath but the neurological damage could not be repaired. Jack remains paralysed but, has some upper arm movement and with this is able to use an electric wheelchair. There is no expectation of improvement.

Jack is in a long term relationship but has no dependants. Many people are fundraising for Jack - running marathons etc , many people are donating to his cause. Wimbledon RFC have been very attentive and supportive as have the injured players assoc on behalf of the RFU. The Voyagers have made a donation of £5,000.

Stuart Williams
On Sunday 12 January 2014 The Voyagers made a special presentation to the family of Pontypridd prop Stuart Williams at half time during Sunday's game between London Welsh and Pontypridd at the Kassam Stadium.

Stuart tragically passed away at the age of 33 on October 21 - just two days after the club's British & Irish Cup fixture with London Welsh at Sardis Road.

Stuart left a wife, Victoria, and two children, Harvey (8) and Megan (13) and The Voyagers Committee presented a cheque for £2000 which was accepted on the family's behalf by a representative of Pontypridd RFC. A bucket collection was also made at the game which raised a further £580 for the family.

A double-winner with Pontypridd, Stuart's loyalty to the club was such that he was the only player in the current squad to play every season of the new semi-professional era.

Originally from Glyncoch, Stuart graduated through the ranks at Pontypridd RFC and joined Rhymney in 2000. He became a regular member of the Pontypridd senior squad following a spell with Cilfynydd.

He made his senior debut as a replacement against Aberavon and made six appearances in his first campaign. The following season he became a regular in the team making 28 appearances.

He continued to serve Pontypridd RFC unstintingly in the front row over the next 11 seasons, making a total of 238 appearances for the club. He was also involved as a player and assisting with coaching duties at Cilfynydd RFC.