Life is good for Mr Punch in 2022 - he has built and moved into a home, not too far from his parents, is kept busy by his two border collies, Alfie and Coco, and has his girlfriend, Ellie, by his side.

In September, 2015, Mr Punch was playing as reserve hooker for the Maitland Blacks in the second grade rugby union decider when a scrum went wrong, leaving him with serious injuries.

Mr Punch fractured his C5 and C6 vertebrae and suffered serious damage to his spinal cord, leaving him quadriplegic.

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He was in hospital for 10 months and required extensive surgeries and rehabilitation.

Now, almost seven years on, Mr Punch has settled into his new circumstances and has a career in marketing.

He is still loyal to his rugby club, who he played with for 15 years.

Volunteering for the Maitland Blacks as a registrar for the senior section, Mr Punch said it's interesting being behind the scenes, compared to being a player.

"It's a bit of an eye opener to see how much the club relies on volunteers, as well as all the sponsors and groups and companies who just want to see the club thrive, and are not thinking of themselves," he said.

"They're volunteering and taking time out of their own day to do all sorts of different things for the club."

Mr Punch still catches most of the club's home games, and being in Newcastle, some away games too.

Day to day, Mr Punch said there are fewer and fewer challenges from his injury and he doesn't really think about them anymore.

When it comes to new activities and experiences, that's a bit of a different story.

"Travelling presents challenges, or if I was to start a new job, try a new activity or go to a new location I suppose... you become a bit of a creature of habit and your challenges sort of disappear when it becomes part of your everyday life," Mr Punch said.

"With new experiences comes new challenges but they're more easily dealt with now, further down the track, than in the first couple of years of my injury where each challenge was major."

Mr Punch said he has found it's helpful to stay calm and to try not to get overwhelmed by new challenges.

Growing up in Lorn, Mr Punch said Maitland had a very tight knit community when he was younger, and that rang true with the support he received after his injury.

"My experience with my employer (The George Tavern), my rugby club, friends and relatives, or even people I'd never met, was extremely supportive."

Mr Punch said he has noticed that interestingly, a lot of people he knew in his early twenties that moved away from Maitland have come back in the past five years, buying homes and setting up families. "I think that shows that yes, people are proud of coming from Maitland."

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