Concussion in Rugby what more can be done to prevent it.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

I was wondering watching the Pro 12 and the Six Nations is there anything more Schools and Sporting Organisations can do to lessen the risk of concussion or brain injury. I know there are strict rules in place but could more be done? The reason I ask this question is because I suffered a brain injury last year. It wasn't through sport it just happened one night without warning. So concussion and brain injury is something I would like to highlight. It can have devastating effects not just on the person who suffers either one but family and friends.

CatFromHue

I'm not 100% sure tbh.

In a physical game like rugby you will get hit on the head sometime, so in a way it's part of the game now.

I think boxers work their neck muscles out as having strong neck muscles is meant to help stop concussion, you have to see the punch coming though.

Losty Dublin

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

I was wondering watching the Pro 12 and the Six Nations is there anything more Schools and Sporting Organisations can do to lessen the risk of concussion or brain injury. I know there are strict rules in place but could more be done? The reason I ask this question is because I suffered a brain injury last year. It wasn't through sport it just happened one night without warning. So concussion and brain injury is something I would like to highlight. It can have devastating effects not just on the person who suffers either one but family and friends.

The only sure fire way to stop concussion and other brain injuries in sport is to not play the sport. How realistic do you think that is?

CatFromHue

Most of what the rugby authorities have done regarding concussion is in dealing with spotting it when it happens and then working on return to play procedures i.e. does the player have any issues and are they symptom free.

It's still a work in progress and there are some people, doctors, saying what's going on now is bull ****. If a player, a Senior Pro player, is suspected of taking a hit they are taken off for a head injury assessment which is a 10 min assessment to see if the play was concussed or is injured. Some doctors say this is impossible as some of the effects of a head injury won't show in this time period.

In schools rugby if a player is thought to have a head injury they're to be taken off straight away.

The IRFU have a section on their website about it
http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame/concussion_videos.php

blackdog1

I've played alot and the worst concussions I've seen are when 2 players tackle the same player usually around the mid drift and both tacklers heads clash. Reducing the height level of tackling to me will reduce instances of concussions but increase the severity. Safest tackles are chest high or ankle low.

The Lost Sheep

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

I was wondering watching the Pro 12 and the Six Nations is there anything more Schools and Sporting Organisations can do to lessen the risk of concussion or brain injury. I know there are strict rules in place but could more be done? The reason I ask this question is because I suffered a brain injury last year. It wasn't through sport it just happened one night without warning. So concussion and brain injury is something I would like to highlight. It can have devastating effects not just on the person who suffers either one but family and friends.

What would you propose for suggestions to reduce concussion/brain injury?
Would you propose changing laws of the game or regulations around the issue?

CatFromHue wrote: »

Most of what the rugby authorities have done regarding concussion is in dealing with spotting it when it happens and then working on return to play procedures i.e. does the player have any issues and are they symptom free.

It's still a work in progress and there are some people, doctors, saying what's going on now is bull ****. If a player, a Senior Pro player, is suspected of taking a hit they are taken off for a head injury assessment which is a 10 min assessment to see if the play was concussed or is injured. Some doctors say this is impossible as some of the effects of a head injury won't show in this time period.

In schools rugby if a player is thought to have a head injury they're to be taken off straight away.

The IRFU have a section on their website about it
http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame/concussion_videos.php

F*** schools rugby. Its any rugby but pro rugby where there isn't a doc on sideline for each team at every single game that the regs about HIAs don't exist.

The Lost Sheep

blackdog1 wrote: »

I've played alot and the worst concussions I've seen are when 2 players tackle the same player usually around the mid drift and both tacklers heads clash. Reducing the height level of tackling to me will reduce instances of concussions but increase the severity. Safest tackles are chest high or ankle low.

Reducing height level of tackle doesn't change anything. There can and would still be head clashes from players of same team making tackle on same player ....

MJohnston

I don't know what can be done to make the sport safer to prevent concussions, but I believe contact sports authorities should be pouring money into scientific research about identifying concussions, treating them, and potentially preventing them from recurring due to repeat head injuries. You're never going to cut out the risk of them happening in rugby, what we should be able to do is improve the afterwards.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

What would you propose for suggestions to reduce concussion/brain injury?
Would you propose changing laws of the game or regulations around the issue?

CatFromHue wrote: »

Most of what the rugby authorities have done regarding concussion is in dealing with spotting it when it happens and then working on return to play procedures i.e. does the player have any issues and are they symptom free.

It's still a work in progress and there are some people, doctors, saying what's going on now is bull ****. If a player, a Senior Pro player, is suspected of taking a hit they are taken off for a head injury assessment which is a 10 min assessment to see if the play was concussed or is injured. Some doctors say this is impossible as some of the effects of a head injury won't show in this time period.

In schools rugby if a player is thought to have a head injury they're to be taken off straight away.

The IRFU have a section on their website about it
http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame/concussion_videos.php

F*** schools rugby. Its any rugby but pro rugby where there isn't a doc on sideline for each team at every single game that the regs about HIAs don't exist.

I would suggest that the IRFU make mandatory that all players wear some type of head gear and like the schools rugby the player be takwn off for cautionary measures. Symptoms of concussion may not affect a player for two or three days after the incendent and can lead to long term affects. So having a doctor on the side line is fine but if a player gets a bang on the head I think he should be replaced straight away and taken to hospital for a brain scan.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

CatFromHue wrote: »

Most of what the rugby authorities have done regarding concussion is in dealing with spotting it when it happens and then working on return to play procedures i.e. does the player have any issues and are they symptom free.

It's still a work in progress and there are some people, doctors, saying what's going on now is bull ****. If a player, a Senior Pro player, is suspected of taking a hit they are taken off for a head injury assessment which is a 10 min assessment to see if the play was concussed or is injured. Some doctors say this is impossible as some of the effects of a head injury won't show in this time period.

In schools rugby if a player is thought to have a head injury they're to be taken off straight away.

The IRFU have a section on their website about it
http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame/concussion_videos.php

Asking a player after being in a head clash if he has any issues I don't think is going to help in anyway because first of all he may not be trained to recognise the symptoms and also in the height of a massive game most players would be very relucant to come off even if they were involved in a clash of heads.

CMOTDibbler

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

I would suggest that the IRFU make mandatory that all players wear some type of head gear and like the schools rugby the player be takwn off for cautionary measures. Symptoms of concussion may not affect a player for two or three days after the incendent and can lead to long term affects. So having a doctor on the side line is fine but if a player gets a bang on the head I think he should be replaced straight away and taken to hospital for a brain scan.

Headgear is no help. The cause of concussion is the movement of the brain inside the skull and the consequent bruising. Headgear won't lessen the impact. It might soften the blow and prevent external damage, but the impact will not be lessened.

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

Asking a player after being in a head clash if he has any issues I don't think is going to help in anyway because first of all he may not be trained to recognise the symptoms and also in the height of a massive game most players would be very relucant to come off even if they were involved in a clash of heads.

A HIA is not limited to asking how the player feels. That's part of the diagnosis, but the medical team also have access to video technology to rewatch the incident and make their own judgment. At that point if they feel it's warranted, the player is removed. Whether they want to or not. The full HIA is then carried out and the player tested for responses against a baseline.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Headgear is no help. The cause of concussion is the movement of the brain inside the skull and the consequent bruising. Headgear won't lessen the impact. It might soften the blow and prevent external damage, but the impact will not be lessened.


A HIA is not limited to asking how the player feels. That's part of the diagnosis, but the medical team also have access to video technology to rewatch the incident and make their own judgment. At that point if they feel it's warranted, the player is removed. Whether they want to or not. The full HIA is then carried out and the player tested for responses against a baseline.

Headgear may not lessen the impact but even if it softens the blow and can help prevent external damage surely that in itself is enough reason to make headgear mandatory. As for the HIA I think that is a excellent way to access a player for concussion but I wonder what percentage HIA assessment of a player diagnosis some sort of head injury especially minor ones as these can maybe lead to more serious issues further down the road?

GavMan

Look at NFL. Helmets have worsened the concussion issue due to players thinking they are totally protected. So that is not the answer.

The uncomfortable truth is that there is no way to remove the danger element of a head injury completely without simply not playing. The approach must be two fold.

1) Keep increasing awareness in the game and removing players from the match when suspected they may have received a concussive blow to the head. If any one has watched a HIA video, it does seem a fairly difficult test to pass with all your faculties, let alone when you're possibly away with the birds. However, I think it would be better to totally remove players from the game and not allow them back on.

2) Tackle Technique. This is simply the only way to reduce the number of incidents. I have done no study on this but I would hazzard a guess that 80-90% of concussions are picked up due to poor tackle technique (E.G Tackler putting his head in the wrong position making the tackle) Reducing the height of the tackle will do nothing. Look at Dylan Hartley in Paris last year. He tackled ankle height and still got knocked out. Poor technique and not an increased physicality in the game.

GavMan

HIA Video


[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipuimHGXJGo]HIA Video 2[/URL]

They've removed the actual off-pitch test video but it involves balance and a rigorous long and short term memory tests

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

GavMan wrote: »

Look at NFL. Helmets have worsened the concussion issue due to players thinking they are totally protected. So that is not the answer.

The uncomfortable truth is that there is no way to remove the danger element of a head injury completely without simply not playing. The approach must be two fold.

1) Keep increasing awareness in the game and removing players from the match when suspected they may have received a concussive blow to the head. If any one has watched a HIA video, it does seem a fairly difficult test to pass with all your faculties, let alone when you're possibly away with the birds. However, I think it would be better to totally remove players from the game and not allow them back on.

2) Tackle Technique. This is simply the only way to reduce the number of incidents. I have done no study on this but I would hazzard a guess that 80-90% of concussions are picked up due to poor tackle technique (E.G Tackler putting his head in the wrong position making the tackle) Reducing the height of the tackle will do nothing. Look at Dylan Hartley in Paris last year. He tackled ankle height and still got knocked out. Poor technique and not an increased physicality in the game.

In 2015 56% of players that suffered a mild concussion were allowed back on to the field after a five minute assessment since the HIA assessment was introduced this has decreased to 12%. So this seems to be the way to go. I think highlighting and educating both parents and professional players on the effects concussion can have on a child or player is the way to go.

CMOTDibbler

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

Headgear may not lessen the impact but even if it softens the blow and can help prevent external damage surely that in itself is enough reason to make headgear mandatory. As for the HIA I think that is a excellent way to access a player for concussion but I wonder what percentage HIA assessment of a player diagnosis some sort of head injury especially minor ones as these can maybe lead to more serious issues further down the road?

There are very few incidents of external damage. Most players wear scrum caps to protect their ears in a scrum or cuts to the head in rucks.

There's a massive difference in the number of head clashes in rugby compared to NFL. If you watched the film 'Concussion', they mentioned that Iron Mike was estimated to have had upwards of 50,000 head clashes in his career, both in training and matches. That's an insane amount and orders of magnitude higher than what a rugby player would sustain in their career.

Jimbob1977

Rugby has moved from a game where the tackle was executed cleanly around the hip..... to a game where head-on tackling and the forearm smash has become more common.

Previously the runner would try to avoid the tackler. Now the runner might try to drive through the tackler.

The backs have also bulked up in weight.

A club centre would have weighed c. 12 stone in 1990. Now you're talking about 15 stone. Increased weight means increased impact. It's physics.

I don't believe the authorities or managers take it seriously enough. George North was a case in point. How could the doctors and managers not realise that he took two heavy hits and was in no fit state to continue?

CMOTDibbler

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I don't believe the authorities or managers take it seriously enough. George North was a case in point. How could the doctors and managers not realise that he took two heavy hits and was in no fit state to continue?

Because they literally didn't see it. The whole incident was investigated thoroughly and apparently there was a breakdown in the comms system in the stadium meaning the medics didn't see the footage.

Things have changed a lot since the days when BOD was staggering around the pitch not knowing what day of the week it was.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

There are very few incidents of external damage. Most players wear scrum caps to protect their ears in a scrum or cuts to the head in rucks.

There's a massive difference in the number of head clashes in rugby compared to NFL. If you watched the film 'Concussion', they mentioned that Iron Mike was estimated to have had upwards of 50,000 head clashes in his career, both in training and matches. That's an insane amount and orders of magnitude higher than what a rugby player would sustain in their career.

As I'm sure you know the tackling in the NFL is way more powerful and the impact is way more severe so it's understandable why the wear the gear and with that amount of impact it's inevitable severe injury is going to occur.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

There are very few incidents of external damage. Most players wear scrum caps to protect their ears in a scrum or cuts to the head in rucks.

There's a massive difference in the number of head clashes in rugby compared to NFL. If you watched the film 'Concussion', they mentioned that Iron Mike was estimated to have had upwards of 50,000 head clashes in his career, both in training and matches. That's an insane amount and orders of magnitude higher than what a rugby player would sustain in their career.

As I'm sure you know the tackling in the NFL is way more powerful and the impact is way more severe so it's understandable why the wear the gear and with that amount of impact it's inevitable severe injury is going to occur.

Darius Fancy Raccoon

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

I was wondering watching the Pro 12 and the Six Nations is there anything more Schools and Sporting Organisations can do to lessen the risk of concussion or brain injury. I know there are strict rules in place but could more be done? The reason I ask this question is because I suffered a brain injury last year. It wasn't through sport it just happened one night without warning. So concussion and brain injury is something I would like to highlight. It can have devastating effects not just on the person who suffers either one but family and friends.

Sorry to hear of your injury, I hope all goes well for you in your recovery.

I really think the only way to stop head injuries is to not play. Scrum caps don't prevent concussion at all and obviously don't offer any protection to your chin. Laws can only go so far - you can make it illegal to tackle above chest high but high tackles will still happen. The HIA is, according to the likes of Dr. Barry O'Driscoll (former IRB medical advisor) just not fit for purpose and imo players who suffer a head injury should be removed from the match permanently with no recourse to return to the field.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

Rugby has moved from a game where the tackle was executed cleanly around the hip..... to a game where head-on tackling and the forearm smash has become more common.

Previously the runner would try to avoid the tackler. Now the runner might try to drive through the tackler.

The backs have also bulked up in weight.

A club centre would have weighed c. 12 stone in 1990. Now you're talking about 15 stone. Increased weight means increased impact. It's physics.

I don't believe the authorities or managers take it seriously enough. George North was a case in point. How could the doctors and managers not realise that he took two heavy hits and was in no fit state to continue?

I agree with everything you said physics is the main issue for me. If you have a player that's 13 st been tackled by a player that's 19 or 20 st commen sense would tell you that the chances of a 13st player getting a head injury would increase by at least 50% or more especially in a neck or head tackle.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

Carmelo Sticky Rucksack wrote: »

Sorry to hear of your injury, I hope all goes well for you in your recovery.

I really think the only way to stop head injuries is to not play. Scrum caps don't prevent concussion at all and obviously don't offer any protection to your chin. Laws can only go so far - you can make it illegal to tackle above chest high but high tackles will still happen. The HIA is, according to the likes of Dr. Barry O'Driscoll (former IRB medical advisor) just not fit for purpose and imo players who suffer a head injury should be removed from the match permanently with no recourse to return to the field.

Thanks for your kind words. I think not playing is the easy way to solve it but I think we all know that's never going to happen so sporting and medical organisations and schools are going to have to keep working together to highlight and educate people on the effects of concussion.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

Carmelo Sticky Rucksack wrote: »

Sorry to hear of your injury, I hope all goes well for you in your recovery.

I really think the only way to stop head injuries is to not play. Scrum caps don't prevent concussion at all and obviously don't offer any protection to your chin. Laws can only go so far - you can make it illegal to tackle above chest high but high tackles will still happen. The HIA is, according to the likes of Dr. Barry O'Driscoll (former IRB medical advisor) just not fit for purpose and imo players who suffer a head injury should be removed from the match permanently with no recourse to return to the field.

Thanks for your kind words. I think not playing is the easy way to solve it but I think we all know that's never going to happen so sporting and medical organisations and schools are going to have to keep working together to highlight and educate people on the effects of concussion.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

Rugby has moved from a game where the tackle was executed cleanly around the hip..... to a game where head-on tackling and the forearm smash has become more common.

Previously the runner would try to avoid the tackler. Now the runner might try to drive through the tackler.

The backs have also bulked up in weight.

A club centre would have weighed c. 12 stone in 1990. Now you're talking about 15 stone. Increased weight means increased impact. It's physics.

I don't believe the authorities or managers take it seriously enough. George North was a case in point. How could the doctors and managers not realise that he took two heavy hits and was in no fit state to continue?

I agree with everything you said physics is the main issue for me. If you have a player that's 13 st been tackled by a player that's 19 or 20 st commen sense would tell you that the chances of a 13st player getting a head injury would increase by at least 50% or more especially in a neck or head tackle.

Dravokivich

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

As I'm sure you know the tackling in the NFL is way more powerful and the impact is way more severe so it's understandable why the wear the gear and with that amount of impact it's inevitable severe injury is going to occur.

It isn't. It's like that because of the gear they wear.

Dravokivich

Dravokivich wrote: »

It isn't. It's like that because of the gear they wear.

Well some of the guys are much bigger than your average rugby player and the tackling technique is very different too.

riffmongous

What happens is a player is identified with a concussion? When are they allowed to play again?

Dravokivich

Carmelo Sticky Rucksack wrote: »

Well some of the guys are much bigger than your average rugby player and the tackling technique is very different too.

But before the gear they weren't launching themselves into each other the way they do now.

CMOTDibbler

riffmongous wrote: »

What happens is a player is identified with a concussion? When are they allowed to play again?

Iit depends on the player and how they manage through the return to play protocols.

It's a very elastic process.

Casual observers of rugby probably wouldn't be aware of the case of Ben Marshall. He was an academy player with Leinster who moved to Connacht. Not long thereafter, he sufffered a concussion in or around November 2015. He didn't play again and announced his retirement very recently.

There's an interview with him in the Indo (I think). It's extremely frighteing what he went through.

thebaz

sometimes life itself can be dangerous - but you have to live - I have had concussion through rugby, but done more damage in car crashes - maybe enforce scrum caps for schools, I dunno - yesterday was important that France lost, with there obsession of freak sized rugby players, it is this obsession with oversized players that certainly causes more injuries , with collusions, and you need to question how so many reach this over-sized freak shape size , rugby was a game for all sizes , and yesterday was a victory for rugby , where we allow relatively small players like Rigsrose, Carberry and van der Flier and Zebo thrive.

The Lost Sheep

thebaz wrote:

sometimes life itself can be dangerous - but you have to live - I have had concussion through rugby, but done more damage in car crashes - maybe enforce scrum caps for schools, I dunno - yesterday was important that France lost, with there obsession of freak sized rugby players, it is this obsession with oversized players that certainly causes more injuries, with collusions, and you need to question how so many reach this over-sized freak shape size , rugby was a game for all sizes , and yesterday was a victory for rugby , where we allow relatively small players like Rigsrose, Carberry and van der Flier and Zebo thrive.

making scrum caps mandatory would be a waste of time as they do nothing to prevent concussion.

thebaz

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

making scrum caps mandatory would be a waste of time as they do nothing to prevent concussion.

as said just suggestion, I'm not a medic so don't know if they have any real benefit, but I would have thought they protect head a little

The Lost Sheep

thebaz wrote:

as said just suggestion, I'm not a medic so don't know if they have any real benefit, but I would have thought they protect head a little

No worries but they've been proven to do nothing to stop concussion. Can help stop cuts though

Losty Dublin

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

making scrum caps mandatory would be a waste of time as they do nothing to prevent concussion.

Agreed. If anything it's yet another barrier to entry.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

riffmongous wrote: »

What happens is a player is identified with a concussion? When are they allowed to play again?

As far as I know the are assesed on the sideline for around 15 minutes and a subisitiude is made and depending on how serious the concussion is the player may return if it's a mild one but if it's more serious they are taken to hospital a further assessment. To be honest I just think if there is any sign of concussion wether it be mild or serious the player should not be allowed back on the pitch to play.

The Lost Sheep

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

It's still a work in progress and there are some people, doctors, saying what's going on now is bull ****. If a player, a Senior Pro player, is suspected of taking a hit they are taken off for a head injury assessment which is a 10 min assessment to see if the play was concussed or is injured. Some doctors say this is impossible as some of the effects of a head injury won't show in this time period.

In schools rugby if a player is thought to have a head injury they're to be taken off straight away.

Why just mention schools rugby. Its any level where no docs are around. The effects of a head injury can show up and this step is better than ignoring the head injury and playing on,.

The IRFU have a section on their website about it
http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame/concussion_videos.php I would suggest that the IRFU make mandatory that all players wear some type of head gear and like the schools rugby the player be takwn off for cautionary measures. Symptoms of concussion may not affect a player for two or three days after the incendent and can lead to long term affects. So having a doctor on the side line is fine but if a player gets a bang on the head I think he should be replaced straight away and taken to hospital for a brain scan.

What head gear are you suggesting be made mandatory?
In all levels of the game bar the very top pro level if a concussive injury occurs and is seen the player is removed and cant return until they pass the RTP protocols which are different depending on age of person involved.

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I don't believe the authorities or managers take it seriously enough. George North was a case in point. How could the doctors and managers not realise that he took two heavy hits and was in no fit state to continue?

That was one incident but I don't think you can say the law makers/guardians of the sport don't take the issue seriously enough when you look at all the changes that have occurred in the sport around protecting the head. Laws change all the time to improve player safety.

riffmongous wrote: »

What happens is a player is identified with a concussion? When are they allowed to play again?

What level are we talking about? Is a minimum of 21 days for adults and 23 for under 18s.

sjwpjw

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

Rugby has moved from a game where the tackle was executed cleanly around the hip..... to a game where head-on tackling and the forearm smash has become more common.

Previously the runner would try to avoid the tackler. Now the runner might try to drive through the tackler.

The backs have also bulked up in weight.

A club centre would have weighed c. 12 stone in 1990. Now you're talking about 15 stone. Increased weight means increased impact. It's physics.

I don't believe the authorities or managers take it seriously enough. George North was a case in point. How could the doctors and managers not realise that he took two heavy hits and was in no fit state to continue?

I agree with everything you said physics is the main issue for me. If you have a player that's 13 st been tackled by a player that's 19 or 20 st commen sense would tell you that the chances of a 13st player getting a head injury would increase by at least 50% or more especially in a neck or head tackle.

Really appreciate this thread but apparently all is not as it seems here. I am told a disproportionate number of big heavy guys getting seriously injured because they are the ones expected to truck it up into heavy traffic all the time. See Ulster thread and the lamenting of the lack of "big ball carriers".

I think the tackle should be lower say the sternum. Less chance of 'accidentally' getting smashed in the head and more chance of offloading out of tackles = more open game = less dependency on "big ball carriers". Or so my theory goes.

sjwpjw

Carmelo Sticky Rucksack wrote: »

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

I was wondering watching the Pro 12 and the Six Nations is there anything more Schools and Sporting Organisations can do to lessen the risk of concussion or brain injury. I know there are strict rules in place but could more be done? The reason I ask this question is because I suffered a brain injury last year. It wasn't through sport it just happened one night without warning. So concussion and brain injury is something I would like to highlight. It can have devastating effects not just on the person who suffers either one but family and friends.

Sorry to hear of your injury, I hope all goes well for you in your recovery.

I really think the only way to stop head injuries is to not play. Scrum caps don't prevent concussion at all and obviously don't offer any protection to your chin. Laws can only go so far - you can make it illegal to tackle above chest high but high tackles will still happen. The HIA is, according to the likes of Dr. Barry O'Driscoll (former IRB medical advisor) just not fit for purpose and imo players who suffer a head injury should be removed from the match permanently with no recourse to return to the field.

I agree high tackles will still happen but logically they will reduce if the legal height is lowered.

sjwpjw

High tackles as in to the head

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

sjwpjw wrote: »

High tackles as in to the head

Yes of course I know tackling around the neck and head are not allowed but unfortunately mistackles happen so it really is a hard one to call when deciding what kind of tackling should be allowed.

sjwpjw

Think you missed my point. If high is over sternum and someone is slightly high by mistake then it is more likely to be the chest area than the head....

GavMan

sjwpjw wrote: »

Think you missed my point. If high is over sternum and someone is slightly high by mistake then it is more likely to be the chest area than the head....

Reducing the height of a tackle will not improve the situation.

Most players get concussions when making tackles, not when being tackled.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

GavMan wrote: »

Reducing the height of a tackle will not improve the situation.

Most players get concussions when making tackles, not when being tackled.

I suppose when players are going down for a scrum the Impact of heads must cause some sort of damage especially if there are four or five scrums in a match.

CMOTDibbler

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

I suppose when players are going down for a scrum the Impact of heads must cause some sort of damage especially if there are four or five scrums in a match.

There's no impact in the scrum any more. Not since the 'crouch, bind, set' command came in a few years back.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

There's no impact in the scrum any more. Not since the 'crouch, bind, set' command came in a few years back.

I thought when the players bind there would be some sort of head impact but then again I never played the game but I watch it a lot.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

There's no impact in the scrum any more. Not since the 'crouch, bind, set' command came in a few years back.

I thought when the players bind there would be some sort of head impact but then again I never played the game but I watch it a lot.

MJohnston

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

I thought when the players bind there would be some sort of head impact but then again I never played the game but I watch it a lot.

Former prop here, and the scrum is now possibly one of the safest parts of rugby for collision injuries.

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MJohnston wrote: »

Former prop here, and the scrum is now possibly one of the safest parts of rugby for collision injuries.

That's good to know. At least it's one part of the game that's safe.

MJohnston

Darius Fancy Raccoon wrote: »

That's good to know. At least it's one part of the game that's safe.

Well, it's safe in relation to collision injuries specifically, but I wouldn't call it safe in general.

brocbrocach

One area that could be looked at is to stop skewing the game towards power athletes - bring it more back to a game combining different types of skills.
A 23 stone power prop, a la Atonio et al, is fearsome to tackle for a burst or two but if forced to follow play for a whole game he'll be a huge defensive liability. Unfortunately at the moment a team can make a large amount of substitutions which is why you see the fatties all trotting off at 60 mins. So the plus of bulk isn't outweighed by the natural minus of poor endurance.
If a team was forced to stick with a starting 15 (although injuries would have to be factored in), you'd need lighter and more dynamic props plus there's a domino effect in that your second rows and backrows would have to bring some of a prop's skillsets to the party.
Scrum, lineout and offside laws could also be looked at to give value to lighter, less bulky players.