Shawnton de Four

June 2017

Shawnton de Four, 34, collapsed after coming out of a ruck during the second half of a match at the Old Emanuel Rugby Club in Beverley Way, New Malden at around 3.40pm on Saturday, March 4.

Club chairwoman, Penny McCarthy, said players worked hard to revive Shawnton before the emergency services arrived, including using an onsite defibrillator, but he was taken to St George’s Hospital where he sadly died later that evening. Shawnton, an engineer who lived in Chase End, Wimbledon, with his wife Susie and 14-month-old twins, had been a member of the Old Emanuel Rugby Club for five years.

Mrs McCarthy set up a JustGiving Page with a target of raising £20,000 to help Mr de Four’s widow care for the couple’s young daughter and son. In the first 24-hours of the page being live, it raised over £15,000. She is now hoping to double the target, and raise £20,000 for each twin. Mrs McCarthy said: “The players are very upset. They took part in trying to help him and revive him, and there’s a sense of failure for them that they didn’t succeed. That’s quite traumatic for them, but I’m very, very proud of them. To be on your own with two young twins, it’s not going to be easy for Susie. It’s going to be two of everything at the same time, two school trips, two pairs of new shoes.’’

The Voyagers have made a Donation of £3,000 to help the family.