'Overall injury rate is not increasing globally and concussion rate appears to be decreasing for first time'
The future shape of rugby will be determined by evidence-based injury-prevention initiatives after the game united in its commitment to making the sport as safe and simple to play as possible at a dedicated player welfare and laws symposium in Marcoussis this week.
An important first step in the four-year law amendment cycle, the process of shaping the game beyond Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan will be underpinned by one consideration – reducing the risk of injury.
Delegates representing unions, professional leagues, leading medics, researchers and scientists joined players, coaches and law makers for the three-day forum in France to consider the latest game analysis and injury data, the considerable progress made to date in injury prevention and management and identify injury trends with the potential to be mitigated through law amendment.
The shape of the game
- Ball in play time has increased by an average of 14 per cent since 2014 across 22 elite competitions to 39 minutes, increasing the number of tackles, rucks and passes in the modern game;
- There is now an average of just seven scrums per game, compared to an average of 32 in 1987.
Injury incidence and trends
- The incidence of injuries is not increasing across 22 elite competitions globally, while concussion incidence has decreased by 14 per cent across the 22 competitions in 2017-18;
- The tackle accounts for 50 per cent of all match injuries, while training accounts for up to 90 per cent of all player activity;
- Despite increased ball in play time and greater volume of tackles as a consequence, the risk of injury is decreasing per tackle event;
- The tackle accounts for 76 per cent of all concussions, while 72 per cent of concussions sustained in the tackle occur to the tackler;
- High risk tackles (when both the tackler and ball carrier are upright) carry a 50 per cent greater risk of concussive injury.
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World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “The objective of the symposium was to bring together playing, coaching, medical and law experts to identify and explore potential law changes to further injury-prevention while promoting game simplicity, accessibility and spectacle.
“We have made great progress in recent years. While it is evident from the latest detailed data that ball in play time and the number of tackles is increasing in elite rugby, the overall injury rate is not increasing globally and the concussion rate appears to be decreasing for the first time.
Insightful read on how difficult 2019 really is for rugby in a grieving France ??? https://t.co/QIgEBXeaQk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 14, 2019
“However, we always strive to do more to protect our players and reduce the risk of injury. This forum was an important first collaborative step and the delegates identified a number of recommendations for our rugby committee to consider.”
Symposium Outcomes
- Law trial: With injury-prevention at the heart of the new four-year quadrennial law review cycle, the delegates proposed a number of evidence-based areas for potential law for trial, which World Rugby will now evaluate in detail via the expert law review group.
- World Rugby, in collaboration with its unions and professional leagues, will identify an elite competition to trial the high tackle warning system employed at the World Rugby U20 Championship 2018 – a programme that resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in concussion
- Law application: World Rugby to implement a high tackle sanctioning framework to promote sanction consistency and public understanding
- Training load: Any player competing at Rugby World Cup 2019 must have a ‘load passport’ to encourage best-practice training load management between club and country environments (approved by the World Rugby Council in November 2018 and presented to tier one coaches), while all unions are encouraged to optimally manage load between club and national team environments based on published best-practice and guidance.
- Injury surveillance: Under the revised premium standards for elite competitions approved by the World Rugby Executive Committee in September, from 1 January, 2019 any competition applying to operate the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) process must now: a) undertake detailed injury surveillance in line with World Rugby standards to create one comprehensive annual set of comparable and definitive global data, b) operate a match day doctor at every match, c) implement minimum video review standards and d) enable World Rugby representation on any HIA review panel.
- Game preparation: Unions are encouraged to universally adopt the Activate injury-prevention warm-up programme developed by the RFU and University of Bath, which has demonstrated a 50 per cent reduction in concussions and a 40 per cent injury reduction at community level when used three times or more a week.
- Tackle education: While the risk of injury per tackle event has decreased in the game, it is still the most common injury event and all unions will be encouraged to ensure professional environments provide comprehensive training to all young professional players in best-practice tackling technique as educated within community rugby programmes such as Rugby Ready. (The LNR announced in December 2018 that they will host seminars with all professional clubs, players, coaches and match officials in France).
https://twitter.com/brettgosper/status/1107602177692962816
Rugby Committee chairman John Jeffrey added: “The experts at the symposium kept an open mind and were focused on meaningful and realistic initiatives that have the potential to further reduce the risk of injury in the sport. The outcomes were exciting and will be taken forward to our Rugby Committee and further expert groups for detailed consideration and evaluation.”
Beaumont added: “It has been a fascinating, constructive and important debate. We are completely aligned in our commitment and I would like to thank my union, competition and International Rugby Players colleagues for their constructive input and full commitment. We are all united in the shared goal of making rugby a safer and simpler game for future generations.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
1 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to comments