A young rugby player was left lying on the cold wet ground for 55 minutes following a knock to his head and neck in a match in Monmouth last weekend.

Joe Bayliss was playing in an under 14s match against Hereford on Chippenham last Sunday (1st December) until a clash left him lying on the ground.

As soon as he was injured, the team first aider went to his assistance and when it became apparent that it was a neck and head injury, an ambulance was called and the match was called off.

Luckily, one of the dads from the Hereford side was a doctor and was able to offer assistance alongside the team's qualified first aider.

On dialling 999 and explaining it was a suspected neck injury, the caller was surprised to be speaking to the North Wales Ambulance Service.

A difficulty arose when asked for a postcode for the incident and the caller had to explain it was in a field opposite Waitrose.

While waiting for the ambulance, the player was cared for and comforted by the first aider and Hereford GP, the GP also spoke to the ambulance control centre during the wait.

During the long wait Joe's mum, Maria Bayliss, had been sent for as she was in the town shopping and by this time Joe had been lying on the ground for a half hour with his dad, Matthew, comforting him.

Continued calls to the ambulance service caused further frustration as it became apparent that no local service would be attending.

Parents were sent out to the road to keep an eye out for an emergency vehicle, and eventually, an ambulance from Abertillery appeared but with no flashing lights and siren.

Assuming this was in response to the call, they were directed to the ground where the injured player was attended to.

The young man was taken to hospital but was discharged later that evening and taken home by his parents. The team manager and the club doctor have both followed up the injury with parental and player contact and the club doctor is continuing to support the player and his parents in his recovery.

Mrs Bayliss paid tribute to the volunteer first aider who looked after her son during the long wait for the ambulance.

"I am just concerned over the delay," she told the Beacon, "and the lack of assurance from the emergency service as they could not tell us when the ambulance was only five minutes away."

Craig Sheppard, chairman of Monmouth Young Rugby, said: "We take player safety very seriously at Monmouth RFC and as such have at least one qualified first aider per age group and as a club we have over 28 qualified first aiders in Young Rugby alone.

"We also have a further 10 volunteers at the club who will be attending another WRU-sponsored St John Ambulance rugby-specific first aid course run on behalf of Monmouth RFC.

"The parents and player have the full support and best wishes from all at Monmouth RFC and wish him well for a speedy recovery."