IT has been 12 months since the sudden death of an amateur rugby league player who collapsed and died while playing the sport he loved.

While for some people the past year may have flown by, for his heart-broken mum it has felt as if time has stood still as she learns to deal with life without the 31-year-old.

But despite the heartache, Joy Cooper-Crippin, 58, tries to remain positive – just like her son would have wanted.

“We experience the loss every day,” said Joy, who bravely opened up to the Warrington Guardian one year on from his tragic death.

“We were always a close family but we have stuck together.

“We talk about him whenever we can.

“It has been a difficult year but the support from the rugby club and the league has been brilliant.”

Adam Cooper, known by his friends as Carney, died while playing for his beloved Culcheth Eagles on July 1, 2017, during an away game at Runcorn ARLFC, at Heath Playing Fields in Runcorn.

“I miss how he used to tease everyone,” said Joy, from Culcheth.

“He was a rugby fan and with the World Cup being on I know he would been having a joke with everyone.

“Some of his friends are getting married and I know he would have arranged an amazing stag do for them.”

While Adam’s mum Joy is still coming to terms with her son’s death, she now hopes that something positive can be achieved from something so painful after he died suddenly from acute cardiac failure.

“It is hard to pick yourself and be motivated after what has happened,” said Joy, who doesn’t want another family to experience the same heartache.

“But I just thought how can I make a difference and make young people aware of this.

“I think some of the rugby lads got checked for a heart condition after what happened.

“One of my main concerns are these energy drinks.

“We can all have a bad diet but there seems to be more coming out in the press about them.”

Next year Adam’s loved ones will be taking part in a half marathon in Barcelona to keep his legacy alive and raise funds for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and the rugby club.

The team at CRY test around 23,000 young people each year while continuing to train the next generation of medical experts to help save more lives.

Since its formation in 1995, the charity has been working to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac deaths but more support is needed.

This is to ensure more people can be screened. One in every 300 of the young people that CRY tests will be identified with a potentially life-threatening condition.