University study to investigate concussions in rugby

Researchers have begun a study into the causes of concussion in rugby — with the possibility of learning how the number of head injuries in the game could be reduced.

Dr Ciaran Simms of Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for Bioengineering said the four-year study would look at concussive injuries at the elite level of the game to determine how the injuries tend to occur.

It comes amid criticism of Wales for the manner in which one of its star players, George North, continued to play on during last week-end’s loss to England in the Six Nations despite two separate blows to the head.

There have also been growing concerns at schools level regarding head injuries, including a recent British Medical Journal report which claimed that “rugby sidesteps many safeguards intended to ensure pupil well-being”.

The research is being conducted by Gregory Tierney along with Dr Simms and got under way in September. It is being conducted in collaboration with the Oslo Sports Trauma Centre, Leinster Rugby, and the IRFU.

Dr Simms said the researchers were now seeking ethical approval from the Faculty of Health Sciences at Trinity to use video evidence of head injuries on rugby fields, ideally from different angles, so that the footage can then be checked against the head-injury assessment forms that are completed following on-field incidents.

Dr Simms said while some accidental collisions were unavoidable, in other instances the research might be able to determine the factors in tackling and other rugby engagements which led to concussion, such as whether the body was also affected by the impact and the orientation of the head in relation to the torso.

“We have an open mind about what we are going to find but I think we will find something interesting,” he said.

“The ideal outcome would be that we could have player injury prevention strategies.”

The study will look at “key kinematic scenarios” that will then be analysed using a biomechanical assessment tool that will effectively map the conditions of concussive impacts and possibly determine tolerance thresholds for concussion injuries in elite rugby players.

Dr Simms said there was already a relationship established with Leinster but stressed that the idea was to broaden the scope of the study as far as possible, adding that the researchers may also approach World Rugby, formerly the International Rugby Board.

In addition to concern over the impact of physical challenges at elite level between professional rugby players whose size dwarfs that of their counterparts from previous decades, at underage level the family of Ben Robinson, who died playing for his school in Antrim from second-impact syndrome four years ago, have demanded better protocols for dealing with concussion in players.