Rugby is one of the most popular sports around the world with over three million people taking part as professionals, amateurs and at grass roots level. It’s popularity is growing even in countries like not traditionally associated with rugby, such as the United States which has 80,000 registered players. In the UK and Ireland in 2017 there were almost 560,000 players registered.
However, rugby is a tough game which requires high fitness and endurance levels for running and physical strength for tackling and resisting tackles. Being a contact sport, injuries are inevitable and there are many types incurred in a variety of ways. Sprains, muscle strains, cuts and abrasions, dislocated joints, broken bones and head injuries can all be sustained, mostly in collisions and falls.
Professional players have proper training regimes overseen by official coaches and there are medical staff on hand at the clubs to diagnose and treat injuries. After an injury the player will monitored and a doctor or physiotherapist will decide when the player can get back into the action.
But at the many grass roots clubs of “weekend warriors” the players themselves usually decide if they are fit enough to play and often, after sustaining an injury, return to the game too soon. This can compound the problem area resulting in a worsening repetitive injury. Where this becomes more serious is with head injuries.
Common Types of Injury
Soft Tissue Injury
The majority of rugby injuries affect the soft tissue such as muscles, tendons and ligaments. Around a third of injuries in sport are to the muscles. Soft tissue damage can be caused by sharp twisting, sudden change of direction or more gradually by overuse such as playing and/or training too much and not allowing enough time to rest in between.
You can help to avoid these types of injury. Before playing or training make sure you warm up to stretch the tissues and oxygenate your muscles. Your main training should be activity specific so, for rugby, you would perform sprinting and sudden changes in pace and direction. If you exercise with weights you should use an appropriate training program. If you are returning to training after injury, build up your fitness gradually. After a match or training do some gentle stretching to wind down slowly.
Trauma Injuries
Because rugby is a contact sport, trauma injuries are going to happen and are usually the result of an impact with another player or the ground. These can include cuts, bruising, dislocated shoulders, elbows or fingers, bone fractures and facial injuries. In hard collisions the neck can sustain whiplash type injuries. Sudden changes of direction can cause knee injuries like medial collateral or cruciate ligament sprains and cartilage damage.
Depending on the specific damage, trauma injuries can take days, weeks or even months to heal. Some will require prolonged medical treatment and physiotherapy before the player can get back into training.
Certain injuries such as abrasions to the head and tooth damage can be avoided by wearing a helmet and gumshield. But most trauma injuries are sudden and unexpected and one of the risks of playing the sport.
Concussion
One of the most serious and controversial issues in rugby is concussion which is a relatively common injury. It is usually caused by a blow to the head, however, it can also be the result of an impact on the body which causes the head to shake violently. The latter cause isn’t always immediately apparent which can be dangerous.
Concussion is a traumatic injury to the brain which is usually temporary. It is important for the victim themselves and others to recognise the symptoms which can include dizziness, blurred or double vision, nausea, stomach pain, slurred speech, lack of concentration or coordination and ringing in the ears. The player might appear to be confused, unable to remember where they are, slow and distracted or staring blankly.
There should be a first aider on hand who should know the signs and keep the player from returning to the match. But if the player tries to continue playing and you think they are acting strangely, let the match officials and team coach know. The player needs to go to hospital and an ambulance should be called.
Like any traumatic injury, a concussion can only heal with rest so the player should avoid physical and mental exercise. They shouldn’t drive and the viewing of TV and computer screens should be kept to a minimum. Returning to their normal activities before the injury is fully healed can see the symptoms recurring and possibly worsening. Playing rugby too soon can result in a secondary concussion which can be far worse.
Studies have shown that repetitive concussions can have long-term mental effects and have been linked to the development of ALS and the possible onset of Alzheimer’s in later life.
The Concussion Debate
Because of the risk of concussion there have been calls to ban the sport from schools or, at the very least, to ban tackling. However, the UK’s chief medical officers and Headway, a leading UK brain injury charity have not backed a ban.
World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, believes that the focus should be on coaching and awareness. Children should be taught how to tackle properly at a young age or the problem will be more prevalent in older teens.
It has also been suggested that helmets ought to be compulsory, but that would not prevent concussion as it is generally the violent movement of the head rather than the actual impact. This is shown in American football in which concussion is a bigger problem than in rugby.
Head Injury Claims
Claiming for a sports related head injury is a complicated process. By taking part in sport you are deemed to have accepted the risks. If you believe that the injury was the result of reckless behaviour by another player or the negligence of an official, you might have a valid claim. A legal expert who specialises in this field will explain the process of making a claim for a head injury.
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