Defence Minister Peter MacKay broke his arm Wednesday while playing a charity rugby match on the lawn of the Parliament buildings.

Mr. MacKay was playing for Canadian Forces Rugby against Ottawa Irish Rugby Club in a fundraiser for the Military Families Fund, wearing unlucky number 13.

Two minutes before the game ended, Mr. MacKay received a low pass from teammate Morgan Williams, a former Team Canada captain from Cole Harbour. When Mr. MacKay struggled with the pass, Canadian rugby legend Al Charron tackled him.

“His knee hit the outside of my right arm and it dislocated the elbow, and as a result there's some fractures and some bone shards in the elbow, so I got to get that operated on today,” Mr. MacKay said on Thursday.

Mr. MacKay joked that Mr. Williams was responsible for the injury.

“If you hadn't given me that hospital pass, Al Charron wouldn't have been able to put the big hurt on me,” he said.

Mr. MacKay's staff tried to take him to the hospital but he stayed for the reception afterward and made a speech with his arm in a sling. He said it was not his love of speech-making that made him stay, but a show of support for the organizers of the charity event.

“It was more love of the cause,” he said.

Mr. MacKay showed what he was made of, said Summa Strategies lobbyist and Tory strategist Tim Powers, who organized the event.

“He's a tough man,” said Mr. Powers. “Full marks to him. Lots of character.”

Mr. MacKay, 43, said he is not too old to play rugby.

“This could just as easily have happened to a 20-year-old,” he said. “When your number comes up it comes up.”

The match raised more $25,000 for the Military Families Fund, which was created in April 2007 by Gen. Rick Hillier, former chief of defence staff.

The Irish won 6-5.