Noosa Dolphins player Ben Rogers recounts horror fall and journey to Australian jersey for deaf Rugby World Cup in South Africa

For Ben Rogers a night out with friends turned into a frightening incident that left him with horror head trauma, loss of hearing and an induced coma.Go inside the scary overseas phone call to his parents while he now gears up to represent his country.

Noosa Dolphins player Ben Rogers. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Waking up in a hospital bed with no memory, partial silence and his family in tears, Ben Rogers was lost.

The Sunshine Coast 25-year-old has opened up about the fall he suffered while on a night out with friends in Noosa in May 2017 as he prepares to represent his country in the Deaf Rugby World Cup in South Africa.

The talented rugby player and former St Teresa’s Catholic College student slipped down a concrete stairwell, hit his head and became unconscious.

Paramedics rushed him to the Nambour General Hospital before he was transferred to Brisbane and placed in an induced coma.

The then 18-year-old suffered serious head trauma which included several bleeds on the brain and a burst left eardrum as his mum Amanda was hit with a horror phone call.

“I was overseas at the time with Ben’s dad when we got the phone call and we weren’t told a whole heap of information,” she said.

“All we knew is that he had suffered a serious accident and he was being transported to Brisbane so for us flying back home it was a very scary time.”

Luckily Rogers didn’t require immediate surgery but his road to reality was just getting started.

“I woke up a day later and remember my memory being all over the shop. I couldn’t remember what happened or where I was,” he said.

The talented Noosa Dolphins rugby player was monitored in ICU for a further four days before being transferred to a rehabilitation ward.

“It was a big shock as it was all pretty full on and took me a while to realise what had happened and what was going on,” he said.

“I had to re-learn how to do a few things like catching a ball, balance, coordination and general daily tasks.

“I just wanted to be fit again so it was hard not to rush back into work or footy but I had to figure out how I could move through it.”

‘I’m just lucky’

His mother said she was in a world of confusion but in the way he performed on the field, Rogers showed that same grit and determination to get back to a healthy life.

“To see your most gorgeous, healthiest son with so much potential in a situation like that there were so many questions flowing through my head,” she said.

“We brought him home after a while where he still underwent his physio treatment, occupational and speech therapy.

“It was hard but we always made sure he was never left alone, we would try to spark memories in all of our conversations and he was just remarkable in everything he did.

“I used to and still do pinch myself in how clever and determined he was in getting back to enjoying a normal 18-year-old’s life.”

Ben Rogers in action for the Noosa Dolphins. Picture: Contributed.

In March 2018, 10 months after the accident, Rogers returned to work as a landscaper but remained locked on his return to local rugby.

Under the guidance of his older brother and former A-grade captain Wil, Ben flourished in the centres with speed and grit.

He made his return to Dolphin Oval in 2019 before earning his A-grade debut a year later.

“There was plenty of criticism from other parents and spectators when I let him go back to playing rugby but I’m a big believer in following your dreams, no matter what setbacks come your way,” Amanda said.

Rogers returned to the field in style and in 2023 was awarded the club’s best back.

“I always wanted to get back to playing rugby, it’s been a few years now since it all happened so I’ve grown to learn and live with it and would say I’m pretty well adapted,” he said.

“There’s people that have it a lot worse than me so I’m just lucky to still be doing everything I’m able to do.”

Rugby dream now an international reality

Last month the now 25-year-old received a dream phone call informing him of his selection in the Australian Deaf Rugby side for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.

The Australian Deaf Rugby team was founded more than 15 years ago and is made up of players who have a hearing loss of at least 50 decibels in one ear or both.

Rogers was selected after an impressive showing at the trials in Sydney and will attend a series of training camps in the coming months.

“I just heard about trials through word of mouth and it was really interesting for me to experience and be a part of it all,” he said.

“There’s a mixture of players so some are completely deaf, some have very limited hearing and some like myself who have lost partial hearing from accidents.”

Players involved in the Australian deaf rugby trials in Dapto. Picture: Facebook.

While all rules are the same, hearing aids are not allowed to be worn with referees using sign language, signals and sometimes bright coloured flags to communicate with the players.

“Everyone says you pick up on lip reading a lot more in general day-to-day things but obviously it’s still tough so playing footy where everyone is running around is a whole different experience,” he said.

“It has been really cool to meet people with similar stories and understand how they navigate certain things.

“Working, training and playing alongside the interpreters has been pretty eye-opening and interesting especially for me because it’s still quite new in a way.”

Players involved in the Australian deaf rugby trials in Dapto. Picture: Facebook.

The invitational tour will take place in Johannesburg from August 1-10 and would feature a host of international teams including England, New Zealand, Fiji and Zimbabwe.

Rogers said he was proud of his achievement and hoped he could bring more awareness to the sport.

“I’m pretty keen to do something different and representing your country is a massive honour,” he said.

“There’s plenty of good players in the team so for us to all mould together will be interesting and something I’m looking forward to.

“I had a great time in what was a short period during the first team training camp so to get the chance to travel to South Africa and play other national teams will be pretty awesome and a great experience.”

The team and players are seeking wider sponsorships with anyone in a position to assist urged to contact - [e-mail]