Cape Town - In 2014, a reckless shoulder charge on JD Schickerling’s neck brought the Western Province lock within millimetres of being paralysed. Last Saturday, 16 months removed from the incident, the 20-year-old completed his courageous comeback from the career-threatening injury to make his Stormers debut.
“It was a very big privilege for me just to get back on the field again, and to be selected for the Stormers squad was a dream,” said Schickerling.
“Nightmare” better describes the anguish he and his family endured after the sickening collision, during a provincial Under-21 match at Loftus Versfeld in August of 2014, which put his quality of life at risk.
On the back of standout performances for Paarl Gymnasium, and then WP’s Craven Week team, Schickerling was selected for SA Schools in 2012 and 2013, and then the Baby Boks in 2014.
He is a towering physical specimen with rare athleticism and game knowledge, and this led to him being spoken of as the next Victor Matfield by scouts and pundits.
But that bright future was swallowed by a maw of doubt after Bulls lock Irne Herbst clattered into the crown of Schickerling’s head, fracturing multiple vertebrae.
“The fracture was about two millimetres away from paralysing me,” he said. “I immediately went in for an operation and then, after the doctor told me I wouldn’t be able to play again without another procedure, they did a second operation.
“I don’t like hospitals at all so, as soon as I was able to fly, I came home.”
It was there that he convalesced under the close supervision of his mother, Cornelia, until he was strong enough to begin rehabilitation.
“The toughest time is waiting until you can actually get back to rehab and get back on the field again,” Schickerling said. “But what makes it so much easier is that you’ve got all your friends and family helping you through the tough time. Both my parents went through a tough time with me, but they stood by me and that helped me a lot.”
The irony of making his first-class comeback against the Bulls is not lost on Schickerling, but Cornelia was less spellbound by the fairytale story when her son was on the receiving end of a high tackle shortly after coming on off the bench.
“She was very scared (about me playing again), obviously any mother would be like that. And then she was very angry when I got another high tackle in the Bulls game, and she said she doesn’t really want to come watch me live now, she rather wants to watch on TV,” Schickerling said.
That’s where Russell Winter first saw Schickerling in action. “I’ve watched JD since he was a schoolboy,” said the Stormers forwards coach. “Even then, he was a special athlete.
“I get gooseflesh just hearing him speak about what he’s been through. The contribution he’s made to the team has been fantastic, he’s a great athlete and he’s going to go very far.”
Stormers co-captain Frans Malherbe packs down in front of fellow Springboks Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit, but last week he gave a glowing report of the ability that Schickerling has flashed in training.
The incident has altered the youngster’s outlook on life, but in a counter-intuitive way. The sudden threat of paralysis has not made him more reticent about taking chances, rather it has inspired him to make the most of every chance he gets.
“Super Rugby is something of a much bigger intensity compared to playing in the U21s or even the Junior World Cup. It’s so much tougher, but it’s lekker,” he said.
“And that’s one thing I’ve learnt, is not to take things for granted – you have to use every opportunity you get, and go full out.”
Cape Argus