You were surely already aware that rugby can be a very difficult sport to play, especially at its highest levels.

It’s dangerous.

It’s gruesome.

Rugby is dirty.

It’s tough and incredibly rough.

All of that was confirmed and elevated again this past weekend.

During a rugby game in Argentina, a player had a large portion of one of his fingers bitten off during a ruck.

Daniel Contreras felt an opposing player bite down on his left index finger and when he pulled back his hand to see the damage, most of the finger above the first knuckle was gone.

If you’re into seeing the damage from that sort of incident, feel free to check it out here. But for those who may be disturbed or uncomfortable, we won’t post the image on this article.

While the piece of the finger bitten off was found, doctors weren’t able to reattach it, believing it could have been contaminated with bacteria on the field. Doctors did, however, tell Contreras the wound should take about three months to heal.

contreras_rugby

Contreras has stated he won’t name the offender or pursue legal action against him.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Contreras told reporters, “The referee asked me to leave the game so that the doctors could attend to my injury. I didn’t react too much because my wife and children were there.”

Additionally, the league issued a statement condemning the cannibalistic foul.

“Incidents like this run contrary to the spirit and the values of our sport. For that reason, we once again reaffirm that they should not happen and must be eradicated.”

The league added they will take the necessary steps to make sure this happens.

Back in April, the league was under fire for having to deal with another gruesome injury. The league banned a player for 99 years after he kicked an opponent in the back of the head.

As for the finger incident, no ban or suspension has been announced or reported.

[Sports Illustrated]

About David Lauterbach

David is a writer for The Comeback. He enjoyed two Men's Basketball Final Four trips for Syracuse before graduating in 2016. If The Office or Game of Thrones is on TV, David will be watching.