World Rugby hits back overThorburn’s claims about ‘dangerous’ game
WORLD Rugby, the game’s global governing body, has hit back at claims by former Wales captain Paul Thorburn that lawmakers have made the sport too dangerous.
Paul Thorburn, tournament director when the World Cup was hosted by Wales in 1999, told the Western Mail earlier this week that he believes youngsters will turn away from the game unless major changes are made.
But a spokesman for World Rugby insisted Thorburn’s views ‘are not substantiated by the evidence of a game that puts player welfare at the top of its agenda’.
The spokesman claimed rugby will remain a sport for all shapes and sizes at community level and that injuries at elite level are decreasing.
“Opinions do not always reflect the reality and the latest injury data from the professional game does not support the theory that injuries are increasing – indeed they have decreased since 2002 illustrating the exceptional level of care that unions, teams and medics observe with players,” a statement given to Walesonline said.
“It is also incorrect to state that player size is contributing to injury rates as player weight and height is largely unchanged from 2004.
“If there was a correlation between size, collisions and injuries, we would anticipate an increased injury profile of the most serious or common injuries, which is not the case.”
World Rugby argue that changes made to the scrum engagement sequence and recent new guidelines on high tackling are having a major impact.
The statement continued: “The evidence-based approach, underpinned by extensive research has led to the scrum engagement sequence change and the new tackle law application.
“The crouch, bind, set sequence has more than halved the number of serious injuries (from 66 per 100,000 forwards to 34 per 100,000 forwards), while the tackle directives are a direct deterrent from contact to the head and, while it is early, are having a positive impact.
“At community level the injury profile is considerably lower than elite level, while child injuries are on a par with any other popular sport up until the age of 12.
“Rugby is a sport that gives so much to its participants, strong values, work ethic and life skills plus life-long friendships and inclusion. Unlike the commentary, it remains and will continue to be a sport for all shapes and sizes at the community level.”
Thorburn, who won 37 caps for Wales, sees it very differently however.
“Rugby used to be a game for people of all shapes and sizes, but increasingly that isn’t the case,” said the former Neath stalwart.
“Now you have massive blokes bashing in to massive blokes for 80 minutes with all the risks that involves.
“You really do wonder whether parents are going to want to encourage their children to take up the sport or indeed if the youngsters themselves will be attracted to it as much as they once were.
“My guess is if we go on as we are many of them will turn away on the basis that it is simply too dangerous,” he added.