When Tauranga's Dion Seeling broke his neck playing rugby as a teenager, the local rugby ‘family' rallied around him.

So too did the New Zealand Rugby Foundation, which was set up in 1986 to support 'rugby in need” but now exclusively supports players with catastrophic injuries, otherwise known as rugby's VIPs (Very Injured Players).

A talented young flanker, Dion broke his neck playing a club game for Tauranga Sports in 1995, just days before trialling for the New Zealand under-19 team.

His accident left him in a wheelchair, but not out of rugby altogether. He coached the Judea senior rugby team for seven years and is a keen supporter of New Zealand rugby, having travelled to Auckland, Wellington and Sydney this year to watch the All Blacks.

Now in his early 40s, Dion has lent a hand to the organisation that has given him so much help over the years by contributing a recipe to the NZ Rugby Foundation's new fundraising cookbook, NZ Rugby Stars Cookbook: Cooking from the Heart.

His Broccoli and Bacon Salad, 'tweaked” from a family recipe, is something he and wife Merle make regularly at home (and which this reporter has eaten and can say, hand on heart, is delicious).

In fact, all of the recipes in the book are family favourites contributed by current and ex-All Blacks, Black Ferns, sevens players and injured players such as Dion.

He says the rugby foundation has given him both financial and emotional support over the years.

'They help cover the little things that ACC doesn't pick up,” says Dion. 'I don't call on [the financial support] so much now, but when you're first injured you need a lot of help. It's crazy how much your life is turned upside down.”

The foundation also supports its VIPs with tickets to representative games and an annual fundraising gala dinner at Eden Park.

Out of the 155,000 registered rugby players in New Zealand, one or two players each year end up with spinal cord injuries such as Dion's – far fewer than there used to be.

The Foundation also works with New Zealand Rugby and ACC to communicate the message of safety first.

Dion shared his photo session for the book with sevens players Kelly Brazier, Ruby Tui and Sarah Goss at the Adams Centre for High Performance in Mount Maunganui, which enabled them to learn a little about his experience of being injured and the support NZ Rugby Foundation offers.

Dion, who works as an artist from his home studio, admits it is 'kinda cool” to be included in the book with the rugby ‘stars'.

'It's a cool book to go through and read,” he says. 'There's lots of interesting recipes and all the royalties go straight to the foundation.”

His wife Merle agrees, saying: 'It's exciting to see the book in print. It's real people and real recipes. We've already picked out our favourites.”

To find out more about the foundation and to order a copy of the cookbook, visit: mwww.rugbyfoundation.com

When Tauranga's Dion Seeling broke his neck playing rugby as a teenager, the local rugby ‘family' rallied around him.

So too did the New Zealand Rugby Foundation, which was set up in 1986 to support 'rugby in need” but now exclusively supports players with catastrophic injuries, otherwise known as rugby's VIPs (Very Injured Players).

A talented young flanker, Dion broke his neck playing a club game for Tauranga Sports in 1995, just days before trialling for the New Zealand under-19 team.

His accident left him in a wheelchair, but not out of rugby altogether. He coached the Judea senior rugby team for seven years and is a keen supporter of New Zealand rugby, having travelled to Auckland, Wellington and Sydney this year to watch the All Blacks.

Now in his early 40s, Dion has lent a hand to the organisation that has given him so much help over the years by contributing a recipe to the NZ Rugby Foundation's new fundraising cookbook, NZ Rugby Stars Cookbook: Cooking from the Heart.

His Broccoli and Bacon Salad, 'tweaked” from a family recipe, is something he and wife Merle make regularly at home (and which this reporter has eaten and can say, hand on heart, is delicious).

In fact, all of the recipes in the book are family favourites contributed by current and ex-All Blacks, Black Ferns, sevens players and injured players such as Dion.

He says the rugby foundation has given him both financial and emotional support over the years.

'They help cover the little things that ACC doesn't pick up,” says Dion. 'I don't call on [the financial support] so much now, but when you're first injured you need a lot of help. It's crazy how much your life is turned upside down.”

The foundation also supports its VIPs with tickets to representative games and an annual fundraising gala dinner at Eden Park.

Out of the 155,000 registered rugby players in New Zealand, one or two players each year end up with spinal cord injuries such as Dion's – far fewer than there used to be.

The Foundation also works with New Zealand Rugby and ACC to communicate the message of safety first.

Dion shared his photo session for the book with sevens players Kelly Brazier, Ruby Tui and Sarah Goss at the Adams Centre for High Performance in Mount Maunganui, which enabled them to learn a little about his experience of being injured and the support NZ Rugby Foundation offers.

Dion, who works as an artist from his home studio, admits it is 'kinda cool” to be included in the book with the rugby ‘stars'.

'It's a cool book to go through and read,” he says. 'There's lots of interesting recipes and all the royalties go straight to the foundation.”

His wife Merle agrees, saying: 'It's exciting to see the book in print. It's real people and real recipes. We've already picked out our favourites.”

To find out more about the foundation and to order a copy of the cookbook, visit: www.rugbyfoundation.com