Why rugby is a safe sport – paradoxically. Why rugby is a safe sport – paradoxically. I have played 18 years . All variations involve running with the ball in the hand towards H-shaped goalposts on either side of the field. Jonathan Davies, ex-Wales fly-half & GB rugby league international: "It's difficult to make rugby safer in some ways because it is a contact sport. Is it safe to play rugby? Any questions about the USA Rugby SafeSport Program can be directed to the USA Rugby SafeSport Liaison officer, Johnathan Atkeison at jatkeison@usa.rugby or 720-263-2059. Schoolboys, meanwhile, are becoming bigger and more powerful, but their bones remain as fragile as ever. Or they will rationalise that it is no more precarious than skiing, mountain biking, even football. Is Rugby Union Safe? First he bust his nose, then his leg was broken in a tackle and finally, aged 16, his cheekbone was shattered. It’s not the sport, it’s how it’s taught. Queen Mary University of London provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK. Like any sport, rugby isn’t without risk. All in all, whilst it may have been a nice place 50 or so years ago, today it is hit and miss. Safe rugby is boring rugby. At the age of under-16 to 18, possibly yes. Almost every person I've ever known who played rugby has thought that rugby is safer than American Football. “Nights were hard for me because I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Gray continues. These methods are designed to train players to be both safe and effective tacklers. In 2013-14 the number of reported concussions rose by 59%. As we speak, she pulls up an email she received at 3.30am that morning from a father whose son was concussed playing rugby at boarding school. They are able to throw their entire body into t… For boys in the 1st and 2nd XVs – the most committed players – 70% had sustained a serious injury, perhaps a concussion, ligament tear or fracture during their five years at the school. Nothing of comparable sophistication exists in the UK – and rugby’s governing bodies in this country are highly resistant to the introduction of comprehensive monitoring. Last year, his mother asked that he be withdrawn from rugby at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Hertfordshire, but she was told her son couldn’t “pick and choose” his lessons and he left the school. To ensure that legal responsibility for rugby injuries remains with the state, rugby officials have to report any injury to the head or neck that happens on their watch – or any injury requiring hospital admission or an absence from play of eight weeks or more. “Children start playing contact rugby when they are in the under nine squad, which usually means they are eight years old from September 1, but it is a highly skilled contact sport and with the correct coaching and application of the law, it is a safe game,” says Jacques Benade, director of rugby at Dubai Exiles RFC. “Have the boys got bigger?” asks Stuart Oliver, Sedbergh’s director of sport. ?”Is rugby safe for children to play?” was a headline that caught my eye this week. Like any sport, rugby isn’t without risk. James, meanwhile, stands behind the posts furiously scribbling on a pad. Almost every person I've ever known who played rugby has thought that rugby is safer than American Football. It was a warm, sunny afternoon and in the second half, close to the touchline, a messy bundle of bodies formed a ruck. Played around the world, there are several variations of rugby, including rugby union, rugby league, and rugby sevens. Rugby Australia has several policies and initiatives aimed at ensuring that Rugby is safe to play and is enjoyable for all participants. But if James does achieve his ambitions it will be quite a story, one that stretches the imagination. “Children start playing contact rugby when they are in the under nine squad, which usually means they are eight years old from September 1, but it is a highly skilled contact sport and with the correct coaching and application of the law, it is a safe game,” says Jacques Benade, director of rugby at Dubai Exiles RFC. Senior Men; Senior Women; U20 Women; U20 Men; U19 Men; U18 Women; U18 Men; Rugby 7s. World Rugby determines the laws of the game, but its interests are in the professional game and business. The majority of injuries, at least 75%, occur during contact or collision, such as the tackle and the scrum. And I just think boys are boys. Football players achieve that sort of force through mostly athleticism, of course, but some of it comes down to their tackling approaches. Pollock did a larger survey, published in 2009, which found that a typical schoolboy playing 15 matches a season had a one-in-six chance of being injured – that is, suffering a complaint that prevented him playing for at least a week. Or a school might say: ‘We’ve looked at the injuries and it’s not safe enough. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 126,000 academics and researchers from 4,001 institutions. The problem for children is that World Rugby and the rugby unions also determine the rules of rugby in schools. Many countries, including the UK, have inadequate child injury surveillance systems. Injuries are frequent – the probabilty of a player being injured in a season can be as high as 90% in some studies, depending on the definition used. The most dangerous aspects of the game were the scrum and the tackle. Thus the rugby player doesn’t have the same disregard for the safety of his or her head, neck, and shoulders when tackling or trying to break through a tackle. A study by Professor Michael Garraway from the University of Edinburgh found in 2000 that injuries had near-doubled in the professional era and increased among school-age boys as well. Researchers have also found evidence of a link between repeat concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy – a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma. Of course many parents and their children will continue to decide that the dangers of playing rugby are outweighed by the benefits of fitness, self-confidence and camaraderie that many find in the sport. Now, more than ever, rugby is “a stern nurse of men”. “Actually we weren’t very good at receiving their kick-offs,” he replies. I did have my moments – I would take myself off to the bathroom – but I knew if he saw that I wasn’t in control then he would worry about things.”, It seems natural to ask: wouldn’t Gray be terrified to let James run out on a rugby pitch again? But is it safe for kids to play such a physical game? This question came up after I read an article on the BBC News website which discusses the need for a rule change in Rugby Union to reduce the risks of concussion. At junior level, safety is certain to become a greater preoccupation for parents. Photograph: Levon Biss for the Observer. Interest in rugby union is likely to surge this spring as the Wallabies compete in the Rugby World Cup in Japan. But increasingly there is concern that rugby has become too dangerous. If played with safety first, then rugy is a safer than most sport. The contact nature of rugby can increase your risk of injuries, including to the head, knee, and ankle. About equivalent to walking down a street. As Rugby World Cup fever builds, a new generation will be inspired to get onto the pitch. Ian Botham pledged money, so did rugby legend Will Greenwood, another Old Sedberghian, of course. Since rugby union became a professional sport in 1995, its popularity has increased to such a height that the Six Nations Championship in 2014 had a higher average attendance per game than either the UEFA Euro Cup 2012 or the FIFA World Cup 2014. When tackling, the point of contact in rugby is lower than the point of contact in football. So if rugby can be safe for kids, how has it gained such notoriety? It means removing the collision element, namely the tackle. Sedbergh also allows any of its pupils to opt out of playing rugby for any reason. According to Pollock, however, it does still happen that children are required to play rugby at school. As the Rugby World Cup rises, a new generation will be inspired to take to the field. Any questions about the USA Rugby SafeSport Program can be directed to the USA Rugby SafeSport Liaison officer, Johnathan Atkeison at jatkeison@usa.rugby or 720-263-2059. Is rugby safe for children to play? Rugby vs. Football – Is Rugby Safe? Twelve months later, there is little to indicate what James has been through. Rugby is a high-impact collision sport, in which players have to exert extreme force in order to acquire and maintain possession of the ball. Like any sport, rugby isn’t without risk - but good warm-ups, cool-downs and tackling technique all help to minimise any dangers. So if rugby can be safe for kids, how has it gained such notoriety? Hendricks S, O'Connor S, Lambert M, Brown J, Burger N, Mc Fie S, et al. Even flag rugby will have to wait for go ahead from the health unit. Over 50% of these injuries are classed as minimal or mild and result in no missed games. Why rugby is a safe sport - paradoxically . We employ World Rugby methods of progressive teaching techniques when coaching tackling. In 1995 the sport became professional at the senior level and now it is clearly a more physical, punishing endeavour. The head/face accounts for 14-27% of all injuries. Rookie Rugby Program This website is powered by SportsEngine's Sports Relationship Management (SRM) software, but is owned by and subject to the Edmonton Rugby Union privacy policy. The government hopes to put 1,300 links in place between schools and rugby union organisations, and 1,000 links with rugby league. Report Post. Gavin Rich. Rugby Canada's New Try Rugby Site. Like Reply. And injuries are the most damaging thing, because if parents think their children are at risk, they will either take steps to have them not play or they’ll make sure the game is changed to make it safer.”. Open play: Will Carling attacks the Irish line in 1989. Sedbergh, a near-medieval public school nestled among steepling fells in Cumbria, is a 6am-run-and-bracing-shower sort of institution. But is it safe for kids to play such a physical game? The effects have trickled down to schoolboy level. Rugby has it’s moments and is quite a rough sport. “Oh my God, I’m not an expert,” she replies. Should we stop our children playing the game? On any game day it has a nurse with pitch-side training, a doctor and a paramedic, all of whom can reach any incident within three minutes. The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has promised to “work with sports such as football, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, and tennis to establish at least 6,000 partnerships between schools and local sports clubs by 2017”. However, Glenalmond College – an elite boarding school in Scotland whose alumni includes the rugby talisman David Sole – withdrew its 1st XV from two fixtures in 2013 because of concerns over “mismatches in physique”. Warm up rugby skills. Many websites look legit but are in fact fake. Punters can rest assured that our recommended bookies are completely safe. Four Old Sedberghians have captained England – one of them was Will Carling – and it has turned out a Scotland skipper, too. It’s clearly the most important question of the era for rugby’s future. Thus the rugby player doesn't have the same disregard for the safety of his or her head, neck, and What changes would Pollock like to see introduced? In American football, however, more than 4,500 former NFL players sued their league for downplaying the dangers of concussion, and last year there was an out-of-court settlement for around £500m. There is no blocking in rugby so only the ball carrier will be in contact. Your forwards should do some practice scrums and lineouts, and your backs should get used to passing in a line. Rugby is still safe. “At the prep-school age, no. To order a copy for £7.49, go to bookshop.theguardian.com, School of hard knocks: it’s estimated that two-thirds of all rugby injuries happen in the tackle. A player takes a calculated risk not to sustain a serious injury like a broken neck when playing rugby, however all sports contain an element of risk and that risk is so much less than the risk of driving a car. With countless tackles, fights and bruises, rugby is dynamic, strategic and fun. Despite this, parents in Singapore still does not consider the sport safe for their kids. USA Rugby is committed to creating safe and fun environments for its members. There is an association with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. But are the risks too high? Rugby is a tough, physical sport and injuries are a major part of it. “I stand back a little bit. Safe rugby is boring rugby. “They see it as a battle rather than a rational discussion,” she says. Allyson M Pollock does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Given that children are more susceptible to injuries such as concussion and often take longer to recover, the government’s plan to increase participation in rugby in schools, in the absence of a comprehensive system for injury surveillance and prevention (including tertiary prevention and rehabilitation), is worrying. “We had to ask: ‘Was it safe?’” says Mike Davies, Glenalmond’s director of sport. Rugby Canada HQ Player Development Safe Sport Coach … Even with these restrictions rugby is a vigorous, physical, rough and tumble game that every football loving kid will enjoy. He wasn’t walking well for a week following it, but he was so determined to do it, and that’s what makes me proud.”, One mother who reached a different conclusion was Allyson Pollock. The reason I’m so passionate about it is that children are very, very vulnerable: we have a special duty of care both as parents and collectively as a society.”. She was standing less than five metres from James when he crumpled on the field. “It’s not that it might happen again, but purely because I’d be so proud of what he has gone through and has been able to achieve. The rising concussion crisis in the NFL has received plenty of media coverage, as has the impact football has on even high school athletes. Compared to American soccer and different comparatively powerful video games, rugby information extra tackles per recreation. Important Rugby is safe but should be played with these things in mind. Do you think that, after seeing this clip, rugby is a safe sport to pl… Two-thirds of all concussions occur during the tackle. “I’ve had ups and downs this year,” says James. But since she began to look into the sport she has noticed some disturbing trends. He also set himself a goal: he would run a mile to raise money for injured rugby players less fortunate than himself. At the end of the 57-7 victory, I suggest there can’t have been much in the latter column. This amongst different causes recognized on this paper make rugby a harmful recreation certainly. Posted: November 21, 2011 in Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, News. Furthermore, because the ball is passed rapidly from player to player most tackles are one on one, not gang tackles. Although rugby is played without pads or helmet it has proven to be a safer game than football. “I probably first picked up a rugby ball when I was a few months old,” he thinks. Why rugby is a safe sport ­ paradoxically The main reason rugby players have a relatively low risk of injury compared to football players is paradoxical ­ rugby players don't wear protective equipment. “It was terrible,” says Pollock now. 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