The 55-year-old Moore died this week, 24 years on from being paralysed when he broke his neck after a scrum collapse in a home match against Dowlais in 1995. He wasn’t expected to survive the accident, but battled on long and hard after spending months at the University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff.
Supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust throughout his battle, as well as seeing his son grow up, and being able to see his beloved Cardiff City reach the Premier league twice, he was able to enjoy watching the Pitmen win the Plate competition twice (2012 and 2017) at Principality Stadium.
He was described by the club as being “an inspiration and a hero of Penallta RFC” who will continue “to be an historic and inspirational figure to all of those who had the pleasure to meet him and play alongside him.”
Now the club want to make it a hat-trick and to dedicate any success this season to their inspirational former skipper. In a tribute to him on their Facebook page, the club outlined just how much Rob Moore meant to them.
“It is with regret that we have been told the terribly sad news that Rob Moore has died, at the age of 55. Rob was captain of Penallta in the 1990s, a warrior on the field and an inspiration to everybody associated with the club.
“In 1995, Rob suffered an awful injury which left him paralysed. A scrum collapsed during a home game against Dowlais and Rob was unfortunate to take the brunt of it, in his position as hooker.
“The fight Rob faced to survive the injury was awful and completely life-changing for him and his family. Rob’s warrior spirit enabled him to somehow survive those life-threatening first few months and then face down those hellish years of almost total paralysis that followed.
“He demonstrated an incredible resolve to battle through those dark days and manage to live a positive and inspiring life thereafter, eventually returning to the Penallta RFC dressing rooms to inspire the boys before big games. Lesser souls would never have been able to do what Rob did, his strength of character really was remarkable.
“Rob was never short of friends and was surrounded by great and loyal friends till the end.
“Rob was helped through those brutal, awful years by his close and loving family, who supported him all the way. His mother Pat, his Dad Ron and his younger brothers Colin and Philip were with Rob every step of the way and their support helped Rob watch his son Daniel, who was just a baby when Rob got hurt, grow up to become the lovely young man he is today.
“Rob was never short of friends and was surrounded by great and loyal friends till the end. In both his football and rugby careers Rob managed to make countless people fond of him. His on field tackling was as brutal as his off field tongue but Rob was such a larger than life character (not to mention simply harder than everyone else) that you’d always end up buying him a pint first, even as he was roasting you!
“As tragic and horrific as Rob’s injury was it is undeniable that it was the catalyst for the great decades of success Penallta RFC has enjoyed since. The way Rob fought back from the brink in 1995 was such an inspiration to the younger players at the club that it bound in them a steel and resolve which underpinned a series of on-field successes that have continued until this day.
“Everybody associated with Penallta would like to extend their heartfelt sympathies to Rob’s family. Rob was a captain, a friend, a warrior, an inspiration and a hero of Penallta RFC and he will continue to be an historic and inspirational figure to all of those who had the pleasure to meet him and play alongside him.”
The players will wear special T-Shirts ahead of the fixture at Ystrad Mynach this weekend and the match programme will also be dedicated to the memory of Rob Moore.
