The Queensland Rugby League says James Ackerman died in a hospital today, two days after he suffered a head injury in a tackle while playing for the Sunshine Coast Falcons against Norths Devils. He was 25.
In a statement released by the QRL, Ackerman's family said "James loved the game of rugby league. He always played the game with his heart on his sleeve. We will miss you." Ackerman, a father of two, played 54 matches in the Intrust Super Cup, a second-tier competition to the National Rugby League.
The Falcons forward was injured early in the game in northern Brisbane on Saturday and was treated immediately on the field by a doctor before being taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital by ambulance. "We want to thank all his former team-mates and his former clubs for coming and seeing James ... your support has been overwhelming during this difficult time," a family statement read.
The Queensland Rugby League said Ackerman had been treated immediately by the on-duty doctor and first-aid staff before being taken to hospital. But his condition deteriorated, leaving the Sunshine Coast Falcons bereft of a "champion guy", QRL chief executive Chris Flannery said.
The player who tackled Ackerman, Francis Molo, is contracted to the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL and is receiving counselling and support from his club and the QRL. Ackerman's team, the Sunshine Coast Falcons, is a team based in the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. They competed in the first season of the Queensland Cup in 1996 but dropped out the following season. It wasn't until 2009 that they made it back to the Queensland Cup after securing an agreement with the NRL's "Manly Eagles" to become a feeder club. Between 2009 and 2013 the club was renamed the "Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles" due to the partnership with the Manly Sea Eagles.
