Morgan MacRae: From 17 Minutes Dead to Returning to Rugby in Six Weeks

Published: 04 September 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

Morgan MacRae’s story reads like a tale of survival against impossible odds. In the early hours of August 13, 2023, the former Wales Sevens player suffered a massive cardiac arrest and was clinically dead for 17 minutes. Remarkably, he returned to training just six weeks later and is now preparing to start the new rugby season with Reading Rams in National League One.

The 23-year-old has no memory of the incident. His last recollection was socialising with friends after a Wimbledon FC match, and he awoke ten days later in the cardiac unit at St George’s Hospital in Tooting. “Sometimes when I am driving or on the tube, I look around and think, in the weirdest way, ‘I shouldn’t be here,’” he admits. “When people hear the story, no one believes it. It is pretty mental.”

MacRae credits his girlfriend, Kitty Williams, with saving his life. Staying over at his brother’s house that night, she awoke to what she initially thought was snoring. Discovering MacRae unresponsive, she immediately administered CPR for ten minutes until paramedics arrived. The paramedics continued CPR and administered four defibrillator shocks before restoring a heartbeat, after which MacRae was induced into a coma for just under two days and spent a further week in intensive care.

The incident left no mental scar for MacRae because he has no memory of it, but the reality of surviving a cardiac arrest is stark. According to the British Heart Foundation, of the roughly 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year, only 7.8% survive, many with lasting complications.

Despite the trauma, MacRae’s passion for rugby remained undiminished. A cardiologist warned him that returning to the sport could be impossible, but he refused to accept that as his fate. Professor Sanjay Sharma, known for guiding Christian Eriksen back to professional football after a cardiac arrest, recommended the implantation of a subcutaneous defibrillator, a device that monitors heart rhythm and can deliver corrective shocks if necessary.

With the device in place, MacRae returned to the gym within ten days and gradually rebuilt his fitness. Six weeks later, he began non-contact training, eventually testing his heart under controlled tackling drills. The breakthrough came during a drill when a teammate tested the device’s resilience, confirming he could return safely to play.

Nicknamed “Iron Man” by teammates, MacRae made his emotional comeback for Henley Hawks 209 days after the cardiac arrest. Surrounded by friends, family, and teammates, the occasion marked not just a personal victory but a testament to resilience, determination, and community support.

MacRae and Kitty have since dedicated themselves to raising awareness about CPR and heart health. He is also an ambassador for Brave Mind, the rugby mental health charity, and continues to share his journey on social media through @mysicdandme and @_bravemind.

“Rugby gave me a purpose beyond survival,” he says. “It helped me release stress, regain confidence, and live fully again. I want to make the most of every day, because you never know when your time is up.”