Dani Czernuszka [Source: Yahoo Finance]

A British women’s amateur rugby player left paralysed for life following an illegal tackle during a match won High Court damages of more than 10 million pounds in a legal first.

Dani Czernuszka, was paralysed from the waist down playing for Reading Sirens in a league match against Bracknell Ladies in October 2017, after opponent Natasha King exerted full weight to her head and back when she was bent over waiting to receive the ball.

The judge ruled that King was liable for the severe spinal injuries Czernuszka sustained as a result of the dangerous and illegal tackle, a verdict which sets a precedent for sporting injury claims.

The Court heard that King was not penalised by the match referee.

Czernuszka was hospitalised for six months after the injury and faces a lifetime in a wheelchair.

The 10 million pounds compensation accounts for the lifelong cost of Czernuszka’s disability and will be paid by the Bracknell club’s insurer, said a spokesperson for the law firm representing Czernuszka.