A total of 48 youth players, 12 of them girls, travelled to University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus, on Saturday, for a CRY ECG Testing session.
CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) are a charity-based organisation whose mission is to raise awareness of undetected cardiac abnormalities in young, apparently healthy individuals.
They stress that exercise is NOT bad for you, but can act as a trigger if there is already an underlying heart condition.
The test includes an Electrocardiogram (ECG) that examines the electrical activity within your heart, and an Electrocardiogram (ECHO) an ultrasound scan of the heart that measures cardiac dimensi9ons and the flow of the blood in and our of the heart.
After these results are taken to a consultant cardiologist, whose speciality is cardiac adaptation in athletic individuals.
It is believed that Enniskillen are the first rugby club in the province to provide these tests for their youth players and David Boyd, Ulster Branch's Provincial Domestic Games manager was on hand to provide support, and indeed they are possibly the only sports club in the Fermanagh to do so.
The cost of the tests, currently £35 per person, was met by the youth section of the club from their own fundraising effort, primarily a quarterly Youth Fund Draw, the first draw of which takes place this Saturday (27th) before the First XV match, when the first prize will be £500, with two further £50 prizes.
Anyone, club member or parent, who wants to enter into the Youth Draw, should contact any member of the youth coaching team.
With the numbers being tested additional fundraising was undertaken in the form of back packing at Ads during August and the money has been spent wisely.
