14 March 2023 , 13:38
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Hull's Cameron Scott is following the lead of England rugby union star Henry Slade - but he’s not switching codes.
Instead, it’s the way he manages his diabetes that’s switching. Rangy centre Scott has been injecting insulin on a daily basis since the age of 14. There aren’t many type 1 diabetics playing professional rugby league. But Exeter Chiefs centre Slade, 29, is someone who does have the condition in the 15-man code.
He wears a blood-testing sensor which continually monitors his sugar. Scott, 23, has always used the more traditional finger-prick testing a few times a day for a snapshot of what’s going on with his levels. He explained: “I’ve never used a sensor. It’s in a bit of an awkward spot if on the arm. When we do wrestle sessions, one of those levers is the back of the arm so I’ve been a bit cautious it might get ripped off.
“But I’ve seen a couple of union players, like Henry Slade, wearing one. He got it tightly strapped up or has it on his stomach and I’m getting towards that point where I might just give it a go as I’ve been told about the benefits it has.”
Scott, who’s played all four Hull games this term, has always handled his condition well. Diabetics can suffer ‘hypos’ when their blood sugar levels drop which leaves them disorientated. But the ex-England Academy captain said: “I've never had any where I’ve had to go off during a game. There’s been a couple of times in pre-season where I’ve been out training and suddenly the light starts getting a bit brighter and I can start to feel it.
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“But when it comes to games, it’s never happened. The game’s the big part of the week. I always make sure everything’s looked after for that. There’s been times I've sat down at half-tine and when you do slow down, your sugars can kind of come down with you but never to the extent of feeling a full-on hypo or to where I can’t carry on.”
Henry Slade shows his diabetes monitoring patch (Alamy Stock Photo)There’s an estimated 400,000 Type-1 diabetics in the UK. Scott, who says Jelly Babies are his “go-to” hit when blood sugar levels do plummet, has proved there’s no reason why the condition should stop people achieving their dreams.
“There’s none at all,” he said, with Hull needing to sweeten things up themselves at champions St Helens on Friday after humiliating back-to-back defeats.
“It’s just about finding what works for you. There’s been a few people who’ve reached out and asked me to give a word to youngsters who've been diagnosed. Obviously it is tough but it then just becomes part of life and you can't really imagine life without it. You just have to accept it and move on.
"You’ve got it the rest of your life with diabetes so there’s no point worrying about it and thinking you're hard done to. The best way to go about it is accept you’ve got it and it’ll never hold you back if you’re willing to put hard work and discipline into it.”