Dazed and contused: Tackling concussion in women head on 

Females playing team sports are significantly more at risk of getting a head injury than men, with research suggesting it could be due to a difference in their neck strength and brain physiology 

Picture: iStock 

A growing number of women are togging out to participate in team sports. The Football Association of Ireland’s 2019 review found that there were more than 19,000 female youth and 4,800 adult soccer players in Ireland. The Ladies Gaelic Football Association has more than 1,000 clubs nationwide. And as of 2018, there were 2,500 girls and 1,341 women playing rugby union.

While this level of women’s involvement in sport is to be celebrated, it is concerning that their injury rates are increasing in tandem with their participation rates. A 2019 study [exa.mn/women-rugby-injuries] reported that St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin had experienced a 243% surge in injured female rugby players presenting at the hospital in the previous ten-year period and its authors warned of an increasing number being treated for concussion.