Outrage after dazed Irish prop returns to play
Player welfare advocates have reacted with dismay and anger to an incident involving Ireland prop Jeremy Loughman in the game against the Māori All Blacks on Wednesday night.
Loughman was visibly dazed after carrying the ball into contact in just the second minute of play, and fell over when he tried to regain his feet.
He then had to be supported by referee Wayne Barnes to stand up, and was subsequently helped off by an Irish medical staff member. Mā ori won the match 32-17. Under World Rugby rules, players who suffer an obvious concussion should be immediately removed from the game and observe a 12-day stand-down period. However, that did not happen in Loughman’s case. Instead, he underwent an HIA – which he passed – and returned to the field after 13 minutes.
Loughman played out the remainder of the first half before being replaced.
Progressive Rugby, a UK-based player welfare group, was outraged by the Loughman incident, comparing it to one involving Wales prop Tomas Francis during the Six Nations, when Francis was incorrectly allowed to stay on the field.
‘‘Both are protocol and process fails,’’ Progressive Rugby posted on its website. ‘‘Protocol because they failed to remove the player immediately, and process because the HIA, in place to protect the player, has failed to identify damage to the brain that was clearly there.
‘‘These incidents are not only potentially catastrophic for the player, it sends an appalling message to the wider rugby community and to those considering becoming part of it.
‘‘In a week where the governing body has blown the player welfare trumpet, you would think the medical team would have been primed and ready to be supercautious?
‘‘So it does start to make you wonder whether World Rugby are playing a tune that not everybody is choosing to listen to?
‘‘And if that’s the case, is it now time for the governing body to flex its muscles and show that confirmed failures simply won’t be tolerated any longer?’’
Kyran Bracken, the former England halfback who is a member of Progressive Rugby, went one step further, saying that the future of the game itself was in danger unless World Rugby stepped in.
Loughman will miss Ireland’s first two tests against the All Blacks if he observes the new 12-day stand-down period.
Ireland, therefore, are facing an injury crisis in the front row, with Loughman’s fellow loosehead prop Cian Healy suffering what appeared to be a serious knee injury against the Māori All Blacks.