Concussions and Protecting Our Players

[Braveheart81]

I think rugby has made huge advances with the treatment of concussion in the last couple of years.

I think the biggest leap is players starting to accept the seriousness of it and take a more precautionary approach after a concussion incident.

The medical side of it seems to be far more advanced than the player side but the players are starting to catch up. The forced retirement of some players is surely having an influence there.

 

[Highlander35]

The fact that Mitch Inman played against the Bulls is pretty disgraceful.

 

[Braveheart81]

The fact that Mitch Inman played against the Bulls is pretty disgraceful.

I have to admit I didn't see the Rebels games in South Africa but it is a challenge trying to make a judgement based on an outside perspective of how bad something looked.

It has to come back to how players recover afterwards and the symptoms they are left with. If not, you end up continuing the problem that contact sports have been having for many years where players with real problems continue to play because the incident just didn't look that bad and they cover up the extent of their problems.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Pretty thought provoking article on concussions here from the NZ Herald:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11306164

Another related article:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11306281

Extract:
In today's Weekend Herald Cleaver tells his story - the first player from within the New Zealand rugby system to detail his experiences of playing on through multiple concussions.
His account bears striking similarities to that of Shontayne Hape, the dual code international forced into retirement after suffering multiple concussions playing professional rugby and league.
Like Hape, Cleaver received countless head knocks coming through the junior ranks.
"I couldn't tell you how many," he said. "I used to get them all the time and just run on. It would be a huge number."
Initially the blows didn't appear to do much harm. But two years after finishing high school he was knocked out cold in a club game with alarming results.
"I woke up and had a panic attack because I couldn't work out why I had a club jersey on and not my high school jersey. I thought I was back in school. I couldn't work out what was going on. That shit can't be doing your brain any favours."

 

[Inside Shoulder]

"I woke up and had a panic attack because I couldn't work out why I had a club jersey on and not my high school jersey. I thought I was back in school. I couldn't work out what was going on. That shit can't be doing your brain any favours."

personal experience similar to this tells me that rest and recuperation are very important in avoiding subsequent problems

 

[boyo]

There was a story on concussion in sport on ABC News (NSW) this evening.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-...otect-athletes-from-repeat-concussion/5676538

 

[D-Box]

There have been a few of these floating around, particularly in the US. Biggest problem is working out the direction of the hit and also the number to set off the red light. Both from a single event and a cumulative load.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Sadly but inevitably,

"Pat McCabe has been advised to retire from rugby after suffering his third neck injury in less than two years during the Bledisloe Cup Test at Eden Park on Saturday, ESPN understands."

Read more at http://www.espnscrum.com/australia/rugby/story/238805.html#O36ciCvRaSWP4Y7p.99

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Now this could get really interesting:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rug...tyle-concussion-lawsuits-20141109-11jayc.html

 

[ParraEElsNRL]

Any reports of this type of stuff happening in other sports besides Rugby League, or is it only mungoball that has a problem?

Ask spitzy, he'd know.

Dumbarse hypocrite!

(btw, maybe you guys should all send the mean old ARLC an email and ask them to donate $5 towards a server upgrade so the likes of me can come here, tease you quickly and piss of, can't ask the ARU, they don't have two fullbacks to rub together let alone $5)

 

[Lindommer]

PEE, your intention to piss of(f) (sic) appeals to me mightily. WTF do you come here if you don't like it?

PS. Who's "spitzy"?

 

[cyclopath]

Any reports of this type of stuff happening in other sports besides Rugby League, or is it only mungoball that has a problem?

Ask spitzy, he'd know.

Dumbarse hypocrite!

(btw, maybe you guys should all send the mean old ARLC an email and ask them to donate $5 towards a server upgrade so the likes of me can come here, tease you quickly and piss of, can't ask the ARU, they don't have two fullbacks to rub together let alone $5)

Server will run better with less traffic. See ya. Shit in someone else's stairwell.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Sully]

I can't help but be pissed off with a lawyer trying to raise a class action against the nrl. Most players in both collision codes are well aware of the dangers of head knocks but refuse to wear protection. Not that the said protection does much.

 

[Muglair]

That's the real perspective Sully. As far as I am aware I only had a few concussions; there is a lot to be said for the safety of lower grades, smaller players and lower speeds. There is no way I would have changed my life in view of the risks.

Elite players have enjoyed everything that the sports have to offer, plus they have reaped many rewards subsequently through pay, recognition and opportunity.

I do think that the benefit of new knowledge should be used to protect today's players to the extent possible and better manage post career side effects. However since the knowledge is generally available then the choice to continue to play the game and expose themselves to the risk is the player's.

On the other hand it will surely be a great legal challenge to establish financial loss under our legal system. A player will have to prove he had greater financial opportunity that he has lost if he did not play. He will have to prove he was not intellectually challenged before he played. For the pre 1990s players he will have to negate alcohol abuse (my favourite part of rugby).

I suppose I will now suffer the wrath of the rugby legal fraternity

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

I can't help but be pissed off with a lawyer trying to raise a class action against the nrl. Most players in both collision codes are well aware of the dangers of head knocks but refuse to wear protection. Not that the said protection does much.

Pretty sure they'll be targeting the "get him back out there even if he can't walk properly" attitude taken by coaches & trainers plus argue that the players have no option but to go along with it or risk their career (plus aren't in a position to make an informed decision whether to go back on or stay off when they're concussed). George Smith v Lions, anyone?

In terms of other sports being in the gun I'd say that if this gets off the ground in any way, ARU can expect to be next. Across the Tasman it'll be NZRU in the gun, partly 'cos NZRL is broke. Note also that the class action against the NFL was tossed out because the judge considered the settlement offer to be insufficient. This thing has legs & needs to be taken seriously.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I can't help but be pissed off with a lawyer trying to raise a class action against the nrl. Most players in both collision codes are well aware of the dangers of head knocks but refuse to wear protection. Not that the said protection does much.

The ARU conducted and published it's own research (pdf) that showed headgear does nothing. Can't reallly blame the players for taking that advice.

The effectiveness of headgear in reducing injury in rugby union was investigated by using a randomised controlled trial involving players wearing no headgear, IRB standard headgear or modified headgear with increased thickness and foam density.
It was found that:
• No statistically significant differences in rates of head injury or concussion were found between the three groups.
• No significant protective effects for headgear were observed.

 

[fatprop]

I can't help but be pissed off with a lawyer trying to raise a class action against the nrl. Most players in both collision codes are well aware of the dangers of head knocks but refuse to wear protection. Not that the said protection does much.

The issue is that an employer can't knowingly put an employee in danger

So they must be seen to actively reducing workplace risks, if the aren't then they get to be liable. So we get fire drills, safety training, sensitivity training and collisions sports get law changes and concussion protocols etc etc

 

[Braveheart81]

The issue is that an employer can't knowingly put an employee in danger

So they must be seen to actively reducing workplace risks, if the aren't then they get to be liable. So we get fire drills, safety training, sensitivity training and collisions sports get law changes and concussion protocols etc etc

So what you're saying is that the ARU should hold some extra fire drills and everything will be right.

Berrick Barnes will be brought back for the basic fire drills as well as advanced fire drill training.

 

[Muglair]

I really wonder if there are legs in this.

The whole NFL system is a cash cow, the legal system is different and they use their helmeted head as a weapon.

Rugby was amateur until 1995 and the various employers (ARU, Super Clubs) are possibly technically insolvent anyway. Defending claims will send them broke so the liability falls to insurers. No easy money there.

As an article somewhere on the NRL pointed out, it will be difficult to identify who the actual employer was at the time etc. Plus the NRL income stream and wealth is a bit illusory. There is a time limit on the TV deal and the NRL clubs would argue that the money retained by the NRL should be distributed to the clubs anyway, most of which survive financially hand to mouth.

Success by any former players will bankrupt the rugby codes and any ongoing provision for future concussion damages will just come out of current player wages. I would doubt there is sufficient financial interest to support full time professionalism at that point in either code.

The irony is that players on high wages during the 1995-2015 golden period would then continue to receive financial benefits at the expense of current players.