Rugby meeting concussion head-on

The issue of concussion in professional rugby has been at the forefront of discussion over the last number of seasons.

High-profile cases involving Jonathan Sexton, which saw the Irish fly-half miss 12 weeks of rugby this season, and the almost farcical way George North was dealt with across the water have been the catalyst for these discussions.

New protocols have been put in place which insist a concussed player abstains from contact for 21 days while he is assessed.

That we can now see professional players being taken off the pitch and tested is encouraging, but it begs the question what happens at the amateur or semi-professional level?

Ian Sherwin, son of former RTÉ commentator Jim and himself a former All-Ireland League winner with Shannon RFC and now head coach at the club, is a PHD student at the University of Limerick’s sports science department.

There, he is heavily involved in a concussion study.

He believes everyone involved in a coaching capacity should educate themselves about the dangers of concussion but he is encouraged by recent developments and believes the IRFU have acted promptly to tackle the issue.

“The IRFU have a new protocol that they have devised and sent out to every club. There is a poster in every club. There is now a doctor at every game, so if an issue arises they are on hand to deal with the problem.

“The new tests are very encouraging. I have asked all my players to take this baseline concussion test. If a player gets a bang on the head we have a baseline for them and once they are back to a normative cognitive function they can go back to playing irrespective of what the new protocols are.

One of Sherwin’s Shannon players, Jason Cronin, a stalwart of their All Ireland league team over the past decade, welcomes the increase in modern testing techniques and he explains what the test entails.

“The squad got baseline tested at the start of the season in UL where we drew pictures and had various tests on long-term and short-term memory.

“The baseline is then in place for you so if you get concussed you go back out to UL and get retested. Our own club doctor and physio are made aware of our results, the doctor will ring every day to assess their progress and let them gradually get back training.”

These tests are certainly a step in the right direction in terms of minimising serious head injuries and consecutive concussions, but are they afforded to everyone?

Katie Mcloskey is a veteran of the Limerick ladies rugby scene who suffered consecutive concussions this season. She believes ladies don’t get the same access to testing.

“We have the poster in the dressing room highlighting the side-effects and our coaches are aware of them but we don’t have the same access to the kind of tests the men would have.

“They have access to doctors and physiotherapists. When I was concussed first I wasn’t even sure I was concussed, I went home and later went to the hospital.”

Katie followed the concussion protocols and didn’t play for the recommended 21 days, but not long after returning she suffered another concussion.

“My first match back I got a knock and I got another concussion. I was unsure of my surroundings after it and even after the match I was groggy and unsure of the result. I think at the level of the ladies game I play at, injuries and particularly head injuries can cause massive issues. A lot of our players would have to take out their own insurance and seek medical assistance off their own back.

“I think if we had the same access to the tests as the men we would be in a much better position to judge our injuries and it would be a much safer environment.”

Can there be anything done on the field to curb the number of concussions?

Former Ireland international Dr Brian Spillane, who now specialises in sports injuries, believes the size of the modern rugby player may be an issue.

“I think the sheer size of some of the players nowadays is frightening. I think players are using their bulk as an attacking weapon. They are constantly looking for contact. In my day, you tackled a fellow low and fell with him.”

Dr Spillane believes that these trends don’t just apply to the professional game.

“I saw it myself when I was involved as a doctor with UL Bohemians for a number of years.

“Young lads in their twenties getting bigger and bigger and it can only lead to a more dangerous game.”

The former Ireland number eight also believes certain tackling techniques, including the choke tackle which has been a major component in the Irish defensive system in recent times, are causes for concern.

“The choke tackle is quite dangerous and lads are going too high in the tackle. When two players’ heads are in that close proximity you are bound to see head injuries occur.

“I think a possible move they could make to improve the safety of the game would be to ban any tackle above chest.”

With protocols and baseline testing in place, the game has shown heartening signs that clubs and governing bodies are taking the issue seriously, but with players getting bigger every day and an emphasis on physical “keep the ball rugby”, particularly in the northern hemisphere, only time will tell whether dangerous concussions will remain a blight on the game.

** Limerick journalism graduate, James O’Nolan, has won the Irish Examiner Young Sports Journalist of the Year Award 2015 for his piece on new steps to curb concussion in amateur rugby.