TV campaign to highlightrisks of concussion in rugby

AS THE Rugby World Cup gets under way, one of Ireland’s leading authorities on sports injuries is spearheading a drive to highlight the dangers of concussion in rugby by setting up an expert group to examine the effects, and through a TV advertising campaign.

Professor Mick Molloy, former chief medical advisor to the International Rugby Board (IRB), is drawing together a team of brain specialists, including neurologists and neurosurgeons, as well as rugby team doctors, to study concussion in depth, with the aim of publishing scientifically based research examining potential long-term consequences.

A report to be presented today will say that internationally, concussion rates of 5%-25% of all injuries have been reported. There are no published reports of concussion incidence in Ireland, despite the fact that an estimated 100,000 play in the sport here.