World Rugby has to get a grip of brain injuries issue
The ugly aspect of brain injuries in rugby reared its head again the past week – twice.
Firstly, consultant neuropathologist Professor Willie Stewart published a report that examined the link between neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, MND and dementia and rugby.
Then there was the very moving documentary featuring England’s World Cup winner, Steve Thompson and the story of his life as he copes with what appears to be chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Neither showed rugby in a great light.
The conclusions from Professor Stewart’s study were the most concerning as scientists said the study should encourage “dramatic changes” in the game in order to reduce the likelihood of brain injury. The MND association said that the study raised “more questions than answers” which will be of scant comfort to Doddie Weir, who suffers from the awful condition.
The research found that former internationalists were three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s and two times more likely to develop dementia.
No wonder the conclusion was that “dramatic changes” should be considered.
And yet there is little evidence that much change is occurring in rugby.
The amount and intensity of contact sessions in training seems to be reducing but not fast enough.
Beyond that, there is the spectre of creating a yearround calendar of rugby, rather than reducing the number of matches and creating a longer off season for players to truly recover.
Of course, much of this is driven by commercial imperatives.
The sport of rugby is professional and the players, while human beings, are the game’s assets and many seem to want to “sweat” those assets until they reach breaking point.
Well this week they should be left in no doubt from Professor Stewart’s research and from Steve Thompson’s life story, that those assets have been well and truly used.
It is hard not to believe that World Rugby – the game’s governing body – is simply tinkering at the edges.
The changes to the Laws – making contact with the head red-card offences – is simply paying lip-service to the fundamental problem.
The game has become one that encourages big hits, with incredibly athletic players trying to knock seven bells out of each other legally. And to make sure you get it right in the game, you have to practise it during the week.
It is a vicious cycle and unless it is addressed, will continue to lead to tragic stories like that of Steve Thompson on a more frequent basis.
World Rugby has to get a grip of this issue. Not only do they have to make more radical changes to the Laws, but they need to ensure that the rugby playing season reduces rather than extends.
Rugby players can no longer be seen as being dispensable once they finish contributing to one of the best games in the world.