TWO years after talented young rugby player Michael Land died from a heart attack, his York rugby club is taking steps to prevent such a tragedy happening again. Kate Liptrot reports.

MICHAEL Land was just 28-years-old and seemed in the peak of physical fitness when he died suddenly in his sleep.

The entrepreneur and rugby coach who lived in Southbank suffered a heart attack caused by a rare lung disease and was found by his fiancee Louise Watling on the morning of her birthday.

Described as a "caring, kid and funny", those who knew Michael were left completely devastated by his death.

But according to the charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), his sudden death wasn't so rare - every week in the UK at least 12 apparently fit and healthy young people die of undiagnosed heart conditions.

Vowing to do something to make a difference in his memory, more than two years later Michael's friends and family have gone on to raise an incredible £22,000 in his honour.

They have been working to support CRY and it has now been announced that some of the funds raised will go towards preventing such a tragedy happening to children and young people at York RI RUFC, where Michael was a player-coach.

A £1500 defibrillator has been installed at the New Lane club and in September a free upcoming screening programme is being offered on an individual basis to some of the 100 children and young people it works with - a simple test which can detect cardiac problems in order to prevent similarly tragic consequences.

"It's about prevention and highlighting this is out there," Shaun Smith, of York RI Rugby Club, said, "It affects children or young adults, as Michael was, and in the peak of physical fitness.

"It's important because these tests can save lives and anything we can do to help kids in the club, so much the better.

"You don't expect someone to die so young and it can make other young people realise that you don't know what's around the corner. "There was a ground swell of opinion that because something can be done about it they wanted to fundraise to stop this happening again. This seemed like the thing to do."

Among those to go through the screening programme is Michael's 34-year-old brother Fraser, now captain of the York RI first team and responsible for taking his brother's already successful business, Yorkshire Fitness Hire on from strength to strength.

His father Gary has thanked everyone who has helped with the memorial fund including those from Michael's home town of Pontefract and his old friends from Hull University.

He said: "It's something you don't get over and what you have to do is learn to live with it.

"The biggest thing for us is raising awareness of CRY and if doing this saves one person's life it will be worth it."

- Sudden death syndrome (SDS) is an umbrella term used for the many different causes of cardiac arrest in young people (under 35).

There is a simple way to diagnose most cardiac abnormalities which is is by having an ECG (electrocardiogram) test.

For information about screenings near you, visit http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/