The round one division 1 rugby fixture between Green Island and Dunedin was called off with about five minutes remaining in the match after Green Island No 8 Ronan Dynes landed awkwardly in a tackle and broke the tibia and fibula in his lower right leg.
Green Island coach Hayden Finch said Dynes had to wait about an hour and 20 minutes before an ambulance arrived.
"It’s just so frustrating.
"Badly broken leg, tib and fib and the guy has to lie in pain for an hour and 20; it’s not good."
All he had during that time for the pain was paracetamol.
The situation would have been a lot better if the physiotherapist or medic at the ground could have given Dynes stronger pain relief such as a green whistle — an inhaler to administer pain relief drug Methoxyflurane — at the ground, Finch said.
"We need to get access to that because giving him a couple of paracetamol is not going to help his excruciating pain."
Finch said Dynes underwent emergency surgery about 11pm on Sunday and was now on the mend.
Rugby Football Union community rugby manager Warren Kearney said, while the union felt for Dynes after a very unfortunate accident, only trained professionals could administer a green whistle in New Zealand.
A St John spokeswoman said at the time of the call the ambulance service was facing very high demand and all available ambulances were committed to life-threatening emergencies.
