Backlash over URC video clip

WELSH rugby star Aled Summerhill has criticised the United Rugby Championship after the league mocked footage of him getting concussed.

The cross-continent competition shared a video clip of Cardiff Rugby wing Summerhill, 27, suffering a blow to the head amid a challenge during South African side Lions’ win earlier this month. The clip’s caption on social media said “goodnight” alongside sleeping and laughing emojis, and “ZZZ” over Summerhill’s body as he lay on the ground.

He flew home early from Cardiff’s away trip to South Africa.

“Really didn’t think head injuries were something to joke about with all that’s going on with it within the sport, there we are then URC,” Summerhill wrote on Twitter.

Former Wales international Alix Popham, who was diagnosed with early onset dementia two years ago amid his doctor’s belief he had suffered 100,000 sub-concussions in his 14-year career, said: “Wow, this is disgusting, what are URC thinking?”

Progressive Rugby, a lobby group formed to demand more to protect the well-being of players, said: “Aled Summerhill [is] absolutely right to call out this appalling post. So much work going into educating coaches, players and fans about the need to take brain injuries seriously. This type of laddish post undermines this and worse, ridicules a player appearing to suffer a concussion.”

The social media post has been slammed as shocking, a shambles and disgraceful by fans. URC CEO Martin Anayi has responded, saying: “This should NEVER have gone up, we are investigating now with our social media agency (who have since been sacked) – it has been removed – we take player safety very seriously”.