Fundraising campaign planned for injured former Ellon player

Published on 14/07/2012 02:48

Former team-mates and coaches of ex-Ellon back-row Seti Tafua are set to begin a fundraising campaign after the popular character was seriously injured whilst playing in Australia.

The 24-year-old, from Wellington in New Zealand, suffered a spinal injury playing for his club Northern Suburbs against Warringah last month.

He has been told it is unlikely he will walk again after an operation to fuse two dislocated vertebrae was unsuccessful.

In the 2006/07 season Tafua, then a teenager, was working at Robert 
Gordon’s College as part of an exchange 
and played for Aberdeen Grammar 
under-18s and then the Ellon first XV. Indeed while at Grammar he played with Scotland cap Ruairidh Jackson.

As a result many people at Ellon, 
Aberdeen Grammar and Gordonians – the club linked with Robert Gordon’s – have kept in regular contact with Tafua over the years and have been shocked by the news of his injury.

Kevin Wyness, now coaching at Grammar, was coach at Ellon during the 2006/07 season and described Tafua as “a very likeable guy”.

He said: “Seti played for Aberdeen Grammar’s under-18s in the early part of that year, but it soon became clear that he was too good for that level and we got him along to training at Ellon.

“It can be hard for a young guy from the other side of the world to settle in at a new club, but for a young guy he did really well and it was clear to see that he had talent.

“It was terrible when we heard the news and in the not too distant future I think it is the plan to get a group of 
us together to discuss what sort of events to have to properly fundraise for Seti.”

One of those leading the fundraising effort in New Zealand will be 
fellow Kiwi Jason Woolcott who was in 
Scotland with Tafua at Robert Gordon’s College.