Rockhampton mum Jess Allen recovering after heart stops beating at Gladstone rugby game

As young Rockhampton mum Jess Allen recovers in hospital after her heart stopped beating at a rugby game, her club mates have vowed to win their final game in her honour.

Frenchville Pioneers club member Jess Allen with Steve Anderson, the club's A-grade men's coach.

There was a gaping hole at Frenchville Pioneers’ training session on Tuesday night.

The men’s and women’s players and coaches from the Rockhampton rugby union club desperately missed the lively chatter and the enthusiasm and energy of their club mate Jess Allen.

The 21-year-old mother of one is in a stable condition in the Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane after her heart stopped at a rugby game in Gladstone on Saturday.

Bystanders performed CPR to keep her alive until ambulance officers arrived. She was taken to Gladstone Hospital and then airlifted to Brisbane in an induced coma.

A gofundme page set up for Jess and her one-year-old daughter has raised more than $11,000.

Jess Allen with her daughter Armani.

Frenchville A-grade men’s coach Steve Anderson was buoyed by reports coming through that Jess was “getting better hour by hour”.

He said her infectious personality had endeared her to many in the Rugby Capricornia community.

“She’s always talking, always chirpy,” he said. “We all missed that on Tuesday, her not being there.

“She is a real character.

“For someone so young and in her first year at the club, she’s had a big impact on a lot of players.”

Jess was running water for Anderson’s team in their semi-final against Gladstone when the medical emergency unfolded.

Jess Allen, 21, is in a Brisbane hospital after she collapsed and her heart stopped while she was running water in a senior men's rugby game in Gladstone at the weekend.

Several team members - including her good mate Daniel Gill and Alistair Vagg, who is a long-serving paramedic - were involved in the life-saving mission.

Anderson said some players were still struggling with the events of last Saturday, but they used Tuesday’s training session as a chance to talk about it and try to fully comprehend what had happened.

He said it was wonderful to see how everyone came together to help Jess.

“We’re just grateful that it actually happened when there were people there to help her; it could have happened at home, it could have happened when she was driving back to Rocky,” he said.

“Those men and ladies gave her a chance at life and by all reports, she’s getting better hour by hour so it’s really, really good news.”

After consultation, the two men’s teams agreed to finish their semi-final.

Frenchville A-grade men's coach Steve Anderson with women's players (from left) Tylah Phillips, Jess Allen, Amber Shephard,Tay Steere and Whaiora Rakena.

Frenchville were down 13-12 but came back to score a 33-20 win to book a place in this weekend’s grand final against Dawson Valley Drovers.

Anderson said it was an incredible effort, one he was sure was inspired by Jess.

“I was extremely proud of them; the way they dug in and played was a credit to each and every one of them,” he said.

“We’ve been building, we’ve been getting better and better, but we’ll have to be even better this weekend against Drovers because they’re a really good side.

“We haven’t beaten them for about four years. We’re getting closer to them, but they just seem to have the wood on us at the moment.

“I don’t think it will be hard to get the boys up. They’re excited to be in the final and we’re hearing bits and pieces that Jess is on the improve so all the boys are pretty positive about that.

“We’d love her to be there but I’m sure the boys will all have that bit of extra motivation to do it for Jess.”

Originally published as Rockhampton mum Jess Allen recovering after heart stops beating at Gladstone rugby game