IRB moves to strengthen concussion tests

Pitch-side concussion tests are to be extended to 10 minutes, the International Rugby Board (IRB) announced yesterday.

The decision represents a 100% rise on the five minutes that are currently allowed for team doctors to make a judgement on whether a player has sustained a concussion.

International rugby’s governing body has also revealed that two specific sections of the Pitch-side Suspected Concussion Assessments (PSCA) tool have been expanded for the elite game, with the memory test being “strengthened” and the balance examination “altered”.