On Saturday June 9, 2012 hundreds of rugby fans and supporters participated in and witnessed an afternoon of world class rugby in support of Ronan Nelson, a sixteen-year-old sophomore at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, CA, who was critically injured in a club rugby game in April.

Rugby fans young and old were treated to afternoon of rugby featuring Fijian 7’s legend, Waisale Serevi, IRB world record try scorer Santiago Gomez Cora from Argentina, IRB Hall of Fame member and New Zealand National 7’s Coach Gordon Tietjens and members of the USA National 7’s team under the leadership of former Captain Matt Hawkins. The highlight of the afternoon was when 738 enthusiastic supporters of Ronan assembled on the field to break the world record for the largest scrum. Following the Touch, Pause, Engage orders from referee Karen Fong, Ronan and his opposing #9 Cathedral graduate Derek Thomas, put the ball into the world’s largest scrum thereby establishing the record.

The organizing committee is very thankful to the dozens of volunteers and sponsors of the event, which raised $10,500 for the Ronan Nelson Recovery Fund to help support his rehabilitation in an effort to walk again. Photos from the event can be seen of the Pray for Ronan Nelson Facebook page and footage of the event can be found HERE and HERE . Contributions to help Ronan can be made online by CLICKING HERE.