MARTIN JOHNSON thinks Christian Eriksen’s brush with death at Euro 2020 shows how vital it is that anyone involved with sport has training to deal with sudden cardiac arrest.
Dane Eriksen survived because of quick thinking by skipper Simon Kjaer and the medics on duty in Copenhagen when he collapsed against Iceland.
But around 12 people aged 14-35 die from similar incidents every WEEK.
And England rugby legend Johnson, patron of the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, marked Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome awareness week with a call for nationwide change — including CPR and defibrillator training.
Johnson said: “We’re talking about 45 minutes to an hour of training but that could save a life when the worst thing happens in front of you.
“CPR is simple to learn and you never know when it might be needed.”
UK Coaching offers a free e-learning course, funded by Sport England, St John Ambulance and the Trust.
Johnson is the only English captain to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, leading Sir Clive Woodward’s 2003 heroes.
Red Rose legend Johnno warned England’s strugglers they are running out of time to prove they have what it takes.
And while his own spell as England coach ended after their 2011 World Cup quarter-final exit against France, his voice will still carry weight with current boss Eddie Jones.
Johnson, 51, said: “Results over the last year and in the Six Nations have been nowhere near what they should be. Poor performances.
“Losing three Home Nations games in a season is just not where England should be.
“Good teams find ways to win games — they have guys who see what’s not working and what they need to change.
“They don’t need to panic or throw everything at them.
“CPR is simple to learn and you never know when it might be needed.”
Rugby World Cup winner Martin Johnson calls for cardiac arrest training across sport
“But change the lineout or the scrum on the hoof, stop giving penalties away, start doing this or that because it’s not working.
“The good teams iron out those dips, dig in and find a way.
“So even if they’re on a flat day, or someone has made a howler, good teams don’t let it kill them.
“England haven’t been that in these last 18 months and they need to find it again quickly.”
Johnson — patron of the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, set up in honour of a 14-year-old boy who collapsed and died of sudden cardiac arrest in 2012 — does not want too much pressure on the rookies.
They include fly-half Marcus Smith, hooker Gabriel Oghre and prop Bevan Rodd, named in Jones’ latest training squad.
‘You’ve not made it when you get picked for England’
Johnson added: “If you bring guys in, you’ve got to give them the best chance to be successful, which is normally with some experience around them.
“I was lucky. I was in an experienced team. We weren’t all looking at each other asking how to do it.
“So you have to manage them into the team — but then they have to be smart enough themselves.
“The guys that do well are the ones that get it and work out where they need to improve their game in two or three matches.
“You’ve not made it when you get picked for England.
“You’ve made it when you can look back and say, ‘I played well for England — I had a good career’.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
