Best Wishes to Kristian Parker Ahead of Surgery

Pontypridd RFC Player-Head Coach Kristian Parker is set for an extended period of time on the sidelines as he prepares to undergo major knee surgery later today.

Kristian sustained the injury earlier in the season against Newbridge at Sardis Road, but such is the nature of the man, he has continued to put the team ahead of his own health and has continued playing over the months – Kris was even amongst the replacements last Saturday away at Newbridge.

His knee injury is a serious one that will require reconstructive surgery, and a long period away from playing as a result. However, the good news is he will continue in his role as Head Coach.

Kristian said: “After careful consideration, I’ve decided to take a prolonged break from playing rugby as I need to undergo knee surgery.

When I first found out, my intention was to get through the festive period and reassess. With it now having more of an impact on my day-to-day life, it’s clear that this is the right time to get it sorted properly.

This decision allows me to fully focus on my rehabilitation while continuing to coach the squad we’ve built. I’m incredibly proud of the group we have, particularly our forwards – they are fiercely competitive, and the depth we’ve created puts them in a very strong position. I’m excited to keep pushing for honours alongside them from the sidelines. I have discussed this in depth with the coaching and management team who are fully supportive of this plan of action, and together we are confident this will have minimal disruption to the playing team.

I’m hopeful this isn’t the end of my playing journey. Depending on how rehabilitation progresses, the aim is to register again in September during the club’s 150th year.

Thank you to everyone for the continued support – it means a great deal.”

Pontypridd Team Manager Stuart Rix commented: “We were all devastated when we heard the news of Kris’ injury. I think everyone at Ponty knows the pain barriers he is willing to play though, that clearly shows in his playing record for the club, having never missed a game. The fact that he has gone on to make three more appearances for the club, playing through this injury show just how much he loves Pontypridd. This wasn’t an easy decision for Kris but he has been very honest with us and as always he has our full support. We will obviously miss him on the field, but we now gain the advantage of him being singularly focused as a Head Coach to lead us. 

Anyone who knows him will know he will be back! We wish him a speedy recovery.”

The Club echo these sentiments – everyone at Pontypridd RFC would like wish Kristian all the very best for his surgery later this afternoon, and wish him a very speedy recovery to hopefully see him running back out onto Sardis Road next season.

All the very best Kris

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