If you’re part of the rugby community, you know what it means to be a rugby family. And the Mackenzies are exactly that.

Bobby, President at Hawkesbury Valley Juniors, has given so much to the game. Week in, week out, he’s there for the kids, the club, and the community. Alongside Ash and their boys, Iowa and Kyza, rugby isn’t just something they do, it is who they are.

Right now, they need us.

A couple of weeks ago, Iowa was just being a kid. Riding his scooter home with his mates, like any 13 year old would. In a split second, everything changed.

Iowa suffered a devastating injury to his hip. He did not just break it, the impact crushed the blood vessels to the femoral head and shattered the growth plate. This has led to a serious condition called avascular necrosis, where the bone loses its blood supply and begins to decay.

As a result, the bone can weaken, collapse, and lose its shape, something that may ultimately require a full hip replacement.

The road ahead is long and incredibly tough.

Iowa will be in a wheelchair for at least 12 months, followed by another 6 months on crutches, and that is only if his body responds to treatment. He is about to begin intensive medical care, including trial medications Zoledronate and Denosumab, administered through injections and IV, along with weekly visits to Westmead Children’s Hospital for xrays, bone density scans, dental checks, medication and ongoing monitoring.

Alongside this, Iowa will undergo extensive physiotherapy and rehabilitation to give him every possible chance at recovery.

For a kid who has lived and breathed rugby since he was 4 and a half, this is heartbreaking.

A front rower through and through, happiest in the number 2 jersey, Iowa now faces the reality of missing an entire season, no Hawkesbury Valley, no Two Blues reps, no school rugby, no trip to Hawaii with the Raptors.

Doctors have told him he will never play Rugby again.

But if you know Iowa, you know he is not done yet.

He is determined. He is tough. And he is a rugby kid at heart.

This journey is going to place a huge emotional and financial strain on the Mackenzie family. Weekly travel from Hawkesbury to Westmead, ongoing medical expenses, physiotherapy and rehabilitation costs, and the significant changes needed at home to support Iowa’s life in a wheelchair, it all adds up.

This is where we come in.

As a rugby community, we stick together. We lift each other up when it matters most.

If you can contribute, no matter how big or small, it will go directly towards supporting the Mackenzie family through this incredibly challenging time.

Let’s rally around one of our own.

Let’s back Iowa.