Junior Bok triumph followed by lifesaving act in skies

Just days after helping the Junior Springboks defend their World Rugby U20 Championship title, team doctor Dr Clement Plaatjies was called into action during a medical emergency on the team’s flight home.

According to Rugby365 and The Citizen, the Junior Boks were travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town on Monday when a woman collapsed while the aircraft was flying over Bloemfontein. SA Rugby General Manager of High-Performance Dave Wessels alerted Dr Plaatjies, who immediately rushed to assist the passenger.

Junior Springboks coach Kevin Foote said Dr Plaatjies could not detect a pulse and immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

‘I saw Dave calling Clem and when he got there, he resuscitated her. He literally pumped and pumped and said he wasn’t picking up a pulse,‘ as quoted by Rugby365.

Dr Plaatjies continued the resuscitation efforts until the woman’s pulse returned. The pilot then turned the aircraft around and returned to OR Tambo International Airport, where emergency medical teams were waiting to take over her care. The flight to Cape Town resumed later, arriving more than three hours behind schedule.

The medical emergency came only days after the Junior Springboks defeated France 16-5 in Tbilisi, Georgia, to secure South Africa’s second consecutive World Rugby U20 Championship title, becoming the country’s first Under-20 side to win back-to-back world crowns.

Dr Clement Plaatjies has previously been recognised for stepping in during medical emergencies, including assisting an injured pedestrian in Walmer in 2022, as seen in the Facebook post below.

For the newly crowned world champions, the journey home delivered another memorable moment, this time through the calm actions and professionalism of the team’s doctor, whose swift response helped save a life.