‘I nearly died’ – Former England star on the day ‘everything changed’ as emotional Leicester Tigers goodbye awaits

Former England star Vicky Macqueen lay in a hospital bed faced with a dire prognosis and two children, under the age of two, waiting for her at home.

Her body was being attacked by the flesh-eating bug necrotising fasciitis and a micro biologist at her bedside warned time was running out for her right leg to be saved.

“He said to me he had 12 hours to grow these cultures and try and work out what exactly we were dealing with,” the 34-times capped full-back says. “‘Otherwise, the leg’s going to have to come off’.”

Three years at Leicester

Macqueen recounts the story almost casually, in much the same way she confirms that this week will be her last in her dream job, as head of women’s rugby for Leicester Tigers.

Only, both events in her life are a very big deal and bringing the curtain down on three years with Tigers, at Exeter Chiefs on the final day of the Allianz Premiership this weekend, she knows will be emotional.

Macqueen, who played under her maiden name Massarella, is a Leicester fan who never got to play for Tigers because they did not have a team until she created one herself.

Leaving, when she does not consider the job complete, obviously hurts.

“But what I went through in hospital back in 2013 has equipped me to deal with moments like this,” she says. “After all, I nearly died.”

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She recalls how she participated in a Wolf Run obstacle course, sustained what she thought was a minor cut to her shin bone, then saw it become infected over the coming days.

When antibiotics proved no remedy she headed to the nearest Accident and Emergency department in Nuneaton. Within two hours her blood pressure had plummeted and she was fighting for her life.

“I was two weeks in intensive care and agreed to have the leg off,” she continues. “People ask how I could do that, but my kids were so young and I was nearly dead. You do what you have to do. There was no option.

“Then this guy went, ‘Right, I’m going to find out what it is’. I’m so thankful. He basically saved me.”

Looking back, Macqueen believes the only reason she overcame the killer soft tissue infection was because her heart was fit and strong due to rugby.

From that moment on she made it her mission to help others feel the health benefits of a sport she spent seven years playing with Saracens before various spells overseas prior to her retirement, through injury, in 2009.

“It made me stop, reflect and reframe my life direction,” she explains. “Necrotising fasciitis came into my life and nearly took my life away. That day everything changed. I realised what was important.”

She created a programme to get young children active and engaged in rugby which she called didi rugby, “so no-one would die from infections that they should be able to fight”.

England stars’ backing

It has proved hugely successful across the UK and Japan and now counts amongst its many ambassadors England stars Manu Tuilagi and Emily Scarratt.

If she is proud of that she is equally chuffed with what she has achieved in putting Leicester on the women’s rugby map.

“I’m really happy with what I’ve given to Tigers and how we’ve grown from nothing to Premiership,” she says. “I’m glad I got the bit between the teeth and made it happen because since I was a little girl I’d always wanted to be a Leicester Tiger.

“For me to be able to lead a Leicester team, not necessarily on the field but off it, is unbelievably important to me. It would be nice to continue to see the programme thrive but I’ve done what I needed to do. I’ve built the foundations.”

England’s biggest club is in a state of flux. The men’s team finished eighth of 10, two years after being crowned champions. The women, bottom but one. Behind the scenes changes are afoot.

In addition to Macqueen moving on, the men’s team are replacing their attack coach, their head of athletic performance, their senior S&C and their sports scientist.

A summer of reflection and rebuild lies ahead for England’s biggest club but what nobody at Welford Road, nor across women’s rugby, will quickly forget is the foundation stone laid by Macqueen.

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