A POPULAR rugby player died in a freak accident after he attempted to jump from the roof of the clubhouse and into a tree as part of a “foolish” club tradition, a coroner has ruled.
Teacher Mathew Brace, aged 25, of Wards Close, Evesham, died of a traumatic brain injury at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after an annual end- of-season rugby dinner at the clubhouse of Evesham Rugby Club.
Tests revealed he had a blood alcohol reading of 187mg in 100ml of blood, the equivalent of more than twice the drink-drive limit, although experts conceded the reading could have been higher at the time of his death.
His childhood friend and the Evesham first team captain Benjamin Whatmore gave evidence at the inquest into his death at Worcestershire Coroner’s Court in Stourport yesterday.
Mr Brace died on May 4 after the accident at the all-male, black-tie dinner which was attended by 180 people, including the former international player and guest speaker Dean Richards.
Mr Whatmore said Mr Brace had been drinking but was “compos mentis”, could handle his drink and he had never once seen his friend “out of control”.
At 2am five people, including Mr Whatmore and Mr Brace, decided to climb the marquee and then on to the clubhouse roof next to it.
The men then discussed whether it would be possible to jump from the roof on to a horse chestnut tree. Mr Whatmore said he did not believe he could make the jump.
He said: “Before any of us could do or say anything he (Mr Brace) leaned across held the branch leaning over, moved it and just jumped.
Mr Whatmore said he was not sure whether or not Mr Brace had lost his grip. He said: “It just didn’t look like he fell very far. We all got down quite quickly. He was on the floor. There was no sign of any injury. We thought he was messing about.”
Mr Brace was unconscious but eventually struggled to sit up and responded to his name but was told by friends to keep still until the ambulance arrived.
He was taken to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and then later transferred to intensive care in the Queen Elizabeth.
Worcestershire coroner Geraint Williams said: “He consumed a large quantity of alcohol and then, without wishing to be critical, very foolishly and in accordance with what I have been told is something of a tradition, he climbed the marquee.
“Two of the men agreed it was not possible to reach the tree from the roof but Mr Brace moved past them and tried to jump into that tree. Whether he missed his grip on the branch isn’t clear.”
The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death. Mathew Brace's family was not present at the inquest and Mr Williams said they had been too distressed to attend.
