Former Rugby Player Who Broke His Neck Has Special Message About His Son Playing Rugby
- Heinrich "Ollie" Terblanche was left paralysed after breaking his neck in a rugby accident in January 2015
- Despite his life-changing injury, he and his wife, Chanel, have said they will support their son Lian if he wants to play rugby
- Ollie has continued fighting through rehabilitation, with becoming an active father and making his son proud among his biggest motivations
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Former rugby player Heinrich "Ollie" Terblanche has endured a life-changing journey since breaking his neck on the rugby field, but the accident has not changed his family's attitude towards the sport.
The former South Western Districts Eagles player was just 20 when he suffered a serious spinal injury during a rugby match in George on 24 January 2015. The accident left him paralysed and changed the course of his promising sporting career.
However, despite what happened to him, Ollie and his wife, Chanel, have made it clear that they will not stand in the way of their son, Lian, should he develop a passion for rugby.
In an interview with George Herald in March 2022, shortly after Lian's birth, the couple spoke about raising their son and whether they would allow him to follow in his father's footsteps.
Chanel explained that they hoped Lian would develop an interest in sport, as both parents had been active in sporting activities.
"If rugby is something Lian loves, we are not going to tell him he cannot do it," she said, according to George Herald.
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The couple also wanted him to understand how his father was injured without growing up afraid of the game.
Ollie Terblanche's rugby injury changed his life
According to the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players' Fund, Ollie was playing as a prop when a scrum collapsed during a match at Outeniqua Park in George. He fractured his neck at the C6/C7 level, leaving him paralysed. He had previously represented the Golden Lions and played rugby in New Zealand before moving to George.
His recovery demanded years of medical treatment and rehabilitation. With determination and support from Chanel, he gradually regained some mobility.
Two years after the accident, Ollie was able to stand with the assistance of crutches alongside Chanel at their wedding.
The Players' Fund, which assists rugby players who sustain serious injuries on the field, has also supported him with rehabilitation equipment and improvements to his home.
Ollie wants to make his son proud
Becoming a father brought a new source of motivation into Ollie's life. Lian was born on 27 February 2022, and Ollie told George Herald that his son's arrival had strengthened his determination to continue pursuing recovery.
In September 2024, YOU magazine reported that Ollie had suffered another medical setback after being hospitalised with spinal cord inflammation.
He had lost the ability to walk again following the development, despite previously making considerable progress through rehabilitation.
Speaking to YOU, Chanel explained that doctors had discovered several viruses in his body and that his immune system had attacked his spinal cord.
She said Ollie was determined to work towards walking again because he wanted to stand at his son's sporting events one day and make him proud.
In March 2025, George Herald reported that Ollie had launched a campaign to raise R150,000 for a specialised wheelchair. The equipment would help him keep up with his energetic three-year-old son and enjoy more outdoor activities with him.
In a November 2026 interview with YOU, Ollie spoke of the remarkable recovery that unfortunately was beset by another setback. Despite that, he remains determined to prove the doctors who said he would never walk or use his hands again wrong.
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Source: Briefly News
