A rugby player who broke her neck during a match has returned to her home in Bristol after spending almost a year in hospital.

Tamara Johnson, 26, was paralysed from the neck down when she fell awkwardly during a game in February last year.

The Bristol University sports development officer has now returned to her home in St Anne's after being treated at Frenchay Hospital and the specialist spinal unit at Salisbury District Hospital.

She says movement has slowly returned to her arms, fingers and torso and is remaining quietly positive about making more steady progress.

The Bath player is aiming to return to work and hopes to be able to drive again with the help of a specially adapted car.

She said: "No one knows how things will carry on progressing. But I can feel everywhere on my body now. The only thing I can't do is tell if things are hot or cold, which is a bit odd.

"I've been told by doctors that I have the potential to carry on improving but I don't know how much I will make.

"It's early days, at the moment I'm looking forward to working with my physio."

She added: "I've also been looking forward to doing simple things like going to the cinema or watching rugby. I'm a Bath fan because I play for Bath but I support Bristol as well and don't want to see them go down."

Tamara, who uses a wheelchair donated by the Rugby Football Union and is helped by a live-in carer, says she was relieved to return home after spending months on hospital wards.

She said: "People have been keeping me busy and been really supportive.

"Like anyone who has a major injury, sometimes it's hard work and I sometimes think, 'How can this still be dragging on?' But friends and family help pick me up.

"My friends have been around to cut the hedge and go through my clothes. Once I've settled back at home, one of my goals is to get back to work."

The accident happened when Tamara, her team's first captain when it formed four years ago, rushed in to scoop up a ball during a match on February 24, 2008.

The routine manoeuvre went badly wrong when the No.8 fell awkwardly, breaking her neck and dislodging a disc in her spine.

She experienced pins and needles in her legs rather than pain, which gradually spread to her arms. She was airlifted to Frenchay Hospital where she underwent an operation on the dislodged disk.

Tamara's coach Jimmy Deane and some of her teammates waited outside during the operation still dressed in their kit.

Straight after the accident, the former Bath University students' union president had to endure three months of bed-rest and has since been undergoing physiotherapy sessions.

Tamara was told her case was one of four 'catastrophic' injuries suffered by rugby players across the country in 2008.

Tamara said: "It's a relatively safe game to play but if you do have an injury, the RFU supports you very well. It was a really unfortunate accident and so rare. I don't regret playing."

Bob Reeves, director of sport, exercise and health at Bristol University, said he hoped Tamara would return to work when she was ready.

He said: "She is a great colleague who is very positive and we would all love to see her come back to work again.

"She's always got a smile on her face and when I've been to see her in hospital I've been uplifted by her. We are all rooting for her but the recovery is a long process. She's a good role model for dealing with injuries like this – her approach has been wonderful."