It is with disbelief that we report the death of Craig Hodgkinson.

Craig 27 died last night after collapsing whilst playing for the Royal Navy in a match in Plymouth against a Cornwall team.

Craig played with both GHK and Hawks and was Hawks top scorer in Seasons 2001-02 and 2002-03.He was also a key member of the Hawks Touring Party that went undefeated in South Africa in 2003.

He played his last game in Hawks colours in September this year whilst on leave from HMS Bulwark, turning out for the 2nd xv against Watsonians at Old Anniesland. Our thoughts are with his family.


EVENING TIMES REPORTS

Royal Marine dies after collapsing at rugby game

A SCOTS Royal Marine has died after collapsing while playing rugby.

Former Glasgow High School pupil Craig Hodgkinson, 27, collapsed after 19 minutes of a match at The Rectory ground in Plymouth.

He was treated at the ground before being taken to Derriford Hospital, where he later died.

Craig from Blanefield, Stirlingshire, was serving on the assault ship HMS Bulwark.

He had played for the Scotland under-18 team as well as Glasgow Hawks RFC.

The Hawks' director of rugby, John Roxburgh, said the club would be "devastated.".

He said said Craig was "an outgoing guy - he played hard on and off the field. He enjoyed life."

Craig had been playing fly half for the Royal Navy Development XV against Cornwall Development XV in the match, which was abandoned.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: "Our sympathies lie with the relatives, friends and family of the Royal Marine who died."

He is the second Royal Marine from the Stirlingshire village to die in recent weeks after Gary Wright, 22, was killed by a suicide bomb in Afghanistan last month.

A spokesman for the Plymouth coroner said an inquest would be opened after a post-mortem.

This article was originally posted on 8-Nov-2006, 13:02 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Chris Maxwell on 9-Nov-2006, 13:21.