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ARU won't pay for Rogers' neck surgery
West Australian 16th November 2007, 13:43 WST
The Australian Rugby Union is refusing to compensate Mat Rogers for a neck operation the Gold Coast Titans centre had undergone on Friday.
Rogers, 31, was forced to dip into his own pocket to find the $22,000 needed for the surgery performed by orthopaedic surgeon Matthew Scott-Young, the brother of former Wallaby Sam Scott-Young, on the Gold Coast.
Rogers is arguing he suffered the neck injury during his first match for the NSW Waratahs in 2002 and has told Titans officials he'll be making a claim to the ARU for compensation.
"He's made no official approach to the ARU," said union spokesman Roger White.
"The ARU has a firm stance on this and they won't be meeting the costs of Mat Rogers' neck operation."
Rogers phoned Wallabies doctor Martin Raftery earlier this week to discuss a possible compensation claim to the ARU and the dual international is being assisted by rugby union players' association chief Tony Dempsey.
If a player can prove he suffered an injury playing elite rugby while contracted to the ARU, the sport's governing body is bound to pay his medical expenses up to two years after retirement.
The Titans are reluctant to comment publicly on the matter but say the NSW Waratahs have the medical records to back Rogers' case.
"If they (the ARU) are prepared to turn their back on the policy just because he went to rugby league, it's a joke," a Titans official said.
Rogers is expected to resume contact work at pre-season training in eight weeks