Kimmage hails Hampson

AUTHOR Paul Kimmage has paid tribute to the life-affirming struggle of Matt Hampson, the English rugby player whose paralysis and rehabilitation is told in the book ‘Engage’ which was yesterday voted the williamhill.com Irish sports book of the year.

Hampson was a teammate of Johnny Wilkinson and James Haskell when he was left paralysed from the neck down after a scrum collapsed during an England U21 training session in 2005 since when he has raised money and awareness for other spinal injury victims.

“The writing of ‘Engage’ pushed me to the brink of insanity but the response has been fantastic and I’m thrilled to have won the award,” said Kimmage.