Players support injury protocols

The chief executive of the Irish rugby players’ body, Omar Hassanein, has given his backing to the IRB’s concussion protocols in a week when the controversial issue has once again been thrust into the limelight by the injury to Peter O’Mahony.

The Munster flanker was withdrawn at half-time of last Saturday’s Rabo-Direct Pro12 fixture against Leinster as a precautionary measure by team doctor Tadhg O’Sullivan after being struck on the head by an opponent’s knee.

The 24-year-old has been monitored closely this week and sat out training on Tuesday, but has insisted he is fit to feature against Edinburgh at Murrayfield in this Saturday’s Heineken Cup opener.

The wider debate as to how concussion in rugby should be addressed rages on, however, with conflicting opinions on the suitability of the IRB’s Pitchside Suspected Concussion Assessment protocols. The global body’s medical advisor, Dr Barry O’Driscoll, resigned in protest at their introduction last year, claiming the idea of a five-minute trial to test for head damage “trivialised concussion”.

The IRB conducted a review of the system this summer on the back of claims that some players were cheating the tests, before giving it the thumbs up for another 12 months.

“The issue of concussion is far more complex than some people make out,” said Hassanein of the Irish Rugby Union Players’ Association.

“The protocols that are in place now are very good but then you have a situation like with [Australian] George Smith against the Lions when everyone knew he shouldn’t have been back on the pitch.

“That happened despite the fact the protocols were in place. That was probably more down to individual error than the protocols so you have to use logic too. So what we know is that the situation can always be improved but the new protocols do allow for a more thorough assessment at the time.”

Concussions are worryingly common in rugby these days. The same, fortunately, cannot be said for the heart condition which it was confirmed this week will require surgery and a season out for Leinster’s Richardt Strauss.

“It’s far from commonplace but we have obviously seen evidence of similar situations recently in English football,” said Hassanein. “It was only a matter of time before we saw something like that happen in rugby.

“What it shows is the absolute importance of constantly monitoring the process of cardiac screening and that awareness and those processes need to be constantly maintained and improved if possible.”