Sittingbourne rugby player Matt Hobson is contemplating retirement after suffering a double fracture in his spine.

Hobson, the club's former coach, was injured during the first half of Bourne's 14-12 Kent 2 victory over Lordswood on Saturday and initially couldn't move.

He'd only just started playing again after two seasons out with a knee injury but, at 32, may now call it a day.

"I need to have a massive think about whether it's time to hang up the boots completely," said Hobson.

"I've got a little girl now - she's 15 months - and I can't even pick her up at the moment.

"I'd only just started playing again in September after two years out.

"I was enjoying playing again and then this happens.

"Do I go down the route of stopping now or do I seek professional opinion and make a decision from there?

"There's lot of things going through my head but the main thing is recovering.

"This season is a write-off, whatever happens.

"I've fractured two lower vertebrae.

"The plan is to let them heal naturally but I don't know how long that will take.

"From what the doctors have said, the healing time varies from person to person."

Hobson lie in agony while an ambulance was called to the Grove, with the match continuing on another pitch.

He was taken to Medway Hospital where a scan confirmed the double-fracture.

Hobson said: "I don't usually go down - I'm quite used to pain - but as soon as it happened I knew something was wrong. I just couldn't move.

"The physios did what they needed to do before the ambulance arrived and I can't thank them enough.

"The paramedics stretchered me off and handed me over to the doctors at the hospital and the scan showed two fractured vertebrae.

"It puts your life on hold - you can't do anything.

"It's painful to walk, it's painful to stand, it's painful to cough - any kind of movement is painful.

"Then there's work to think about as well. It's not ideal having to take time off.

"It's not something you expect to happen and it's a shock more than anything else.

"It wasn't nice for my wife to get a call saying her husband's in hospital with a fractured back but what can you do?"

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