Concussions and Protecting Our Players

[Highlander35]

Both Union and League would do well to actively disavow "fight club is aspirational" schtick whenever possible.

Can't do too much about individuals not under any contract but I hope current players are kept very very far away from it.

 

[Scrums'n Roses]

The Oklahoma drill as they do the US is a bit different though and was meant to be specific to the O Line and D Line competing for space and positioning.

This is just human dog fighting.

Agreed, if you compare the Oklahoma Drill and this new RUNIT, they are completely different.

- Oklahoma Drill

- RUNIT

 

[HogansHeros]

Owns a Jims mowing business now doesn't he?

He was working for the trucking company NJ Ashton

 

[Derpus]

I don't know where you were training but my coaches never laid out a strip of fabric on some concrete and asked me to run straight at the biggest guy in the team.

The only time this happened for me was about 3 hours after the game in a change room and we were all blind.

 

[The Ruckening]

I don't know where you were training but my coaches never laid out a strip of fabric on some concrete and asked me to run straight at the biggest guy in the team.

And there is a major difference between schoolboy level, or subbies level players. Compared to these 135kg men running it for money, more force more injury.

 

[Braveheart81]

The only time this happened for me was about 3 hours after the game in a change room and we were all blind.

Crazy that you then got home and started posting on the forum.

 

[Ignoto]

Both Union and League would do well to actively disavow "fight club is aspirational" schtick whenever possible.

I'm in the opposite camp. We've seen through alcohol prohibition or the war on drugs that saying something is bad and naughty isn't the solution. As someone with no dog in the fight, I can't see how society will have no problem with Boxing or UFC, but we draw the line here for "safety.

Asking AI gives me these rates brain related injuries;

A more recent analysis of bouts from 2000–2019 (428,904 total fights) found 84 brain-trauma fatalities, equating to about one death per 5,000 professional bout

In sanctioned mixed martial arts contests worldwide, 20 deaths have been recorded (and an additional nine in unregulated bouts) as of 2023

If I was Union or League, I wouldn't endorse it, but acknowledge that this will occur, so lets get the runit team to make it safer.

There's no need for the participants to start standing up and have a run up. Make the big boys start on the floor and get up, it'll reduce the level of force.

Get RunIt to tell a defender make a legitimate legal tackle i.e. wrapping and has to involves arms. No shoulder tackles.

Putting safeguards in there is the solution otherwise it'll just go underground and still happen.

It'll fizzle out in a year or two anyway when the next trendy thing takes over.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Crazy that you then got home and started posting on the forum.

Explains a lot does that.

Imagine what must've happened to Shiggins...

 

[PhilClinton]

Putting safeguards in there is the solution otherwise it'll just go underground and still happen.

I think it has been underground (backyards) for a long time and the RUNIT guys just decided to commercialise it.

Once the sponsors are scared off and the prize money disappears the whole thing will run out of steam.

No one can stop some mates running into each other in their backyard after a few beers, it has been happening for decades. But at least by removing the cool factor and getting it out of the media, it makes the group of people emulating it smaller.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Sponsors would not want their branding being anywhere near anything that is seen in the same room.

Big difference in my mind in combat sports and this. Combat sports aren't my cup of tea either but they are full time athletes that train, are paid and looked after like a squad member of a sports team. Even the early days of the UFC as wild as they were were getting pros in their given field and putting them together.

Runit is just getting guys to collide. I don't think they'd want any technique engagement because it kills the spectacle that has made them infamous. All they would get from it is the ability to say we work with xyz...

Those rates of death in those sports as crude as it seems feel about right and I reckon they will continue to lower as well. Runit has been getting big buzz for a couple of months and there is already one kid dead from it.

 

[PhilClinton]

I wonder how NZRU feel about Umaga and Savea comments here.

I wouldn't exactly say they're totally denouncing the RUNIT events, which is in contrast to the NZRU who are straight up telling people DO NOT PARTICIPATE.

I'm not sure saying 'I see both sides' is the message we want to be sending.

NZR, Savea warn of 'run-it-straight' dangers

New Zealand Rugby and All Blacks star Ardie Savea have both issued warnings over the viral "run-it-straight" craze following the death of a teenager.

www.espn.com.au

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

"It's hard because it's kind of made me the rugby player I am - I used to do run it straights in the backyard with Bus (brother Julian Savea) - so you kind of see both sides."

 

[LevitatingSocks]

Agreed, if you compare the Oklahoma Drill and this new RUNIT, they are completely different.

- Oklahoma Drill

- RUNIT

The funny thing is that the NFL prohibits teams from running Oklahoma Drills now in the interest of player safety.

Still technically permitted at the college and high school levels but even a decade ago the overall trend was toward minimizing high speed opposed contact outside of games.

 

[The Ruckening]

Similarly they seem to be more aware of the ongoing CTE effects, with the introduction of the guardian cap and all that shit. I remember seeing something about how the helmets that they were actually make concussions more common because they rattle the head, it's all for show over there.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

It also allows for technique to be dismissed. You feel like you have protection so they just ram into each other as a tackle as opposed to Rugby where you don't have that so guess what you need to make an effort to position yourself safely.

 

[The Ruckening]

It also allows for technique to be dismissed. You feel like you have protection so they just ram into each other as a tackle as opposed to Rugby where you don't have that so guess what you need to make an effort to position yourself safely.

Agreed, Grew up for a bit in the US tried out the football program. Don't train technique at all, simply just running at each other, throwing yourself headfirst at someone's knee cap seems to be great tackle technique over there. What's even more ridiculous is that they don't allow contact rugby until the age of 13, no technique taught as well.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Another 500+ former players have signed on to the class action lawsuit against WR (World Rugby), the English & Welsh RU's & the bodies governing pro & amateur league in UK, taking the total to over 1100.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[Dctarget]

what's this class action aiming to do? I'm all for raising awareness and installing preventative measures but I don't see much point in taking unions to the cleaners for past negligence.

 

[Wilson]

what's this class action aiming to do? I'm all for raising awareness and installing preventative measures but I don't see much point in taking unions to the cleaners for past negligence.

Claimants are seeking compensation from World Rugby, the English Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union — governing bodies in 15-a-side rugby — and the English Rugby Football League and British Amateur Rugby League Association — from 13-a-side rugby league — for lost earnings, medical bills and care costs associated with their injuries, the firm said.

“Rylands Garth is also calling for urgent and substantive reform of the game to better protect the safety of current and future players — including the creation of an independent brain health ombudsman for the sport,” it said.

So basically cover the costs they've incurred, some amount of damages and drive change in how CTE is handled. I imagine one of the key factors will be long term financial support for the decline that comes with age as a result of these injuries - we've already seen a lot of the worst impacts land well after the players are out of the game and no longer supported by it, so I imagine that's a key piece they want to change.

 

[Derpus]

what's this class action aiming to do? I'm all for raising awareness and installing preventative measures but I don't see much point in taking unions to the cleaners for past negligence.

I guess typically you might hope that a successful action would modify behaviours moving forward. Not just of WR (World Rugby) but for other sporting unions.

I am curious to see how this plays out. WR (World Rugby) have been amongst the most proactive governing bodies in response to evolving evidence of head injuries IMO. Not really negligence if you take a whole bunch of steps to mitigate the harm in line with medical and scientific recommendations.