Progressive Rugby statement: Seven-point plan to make rugby safer
Concussion awareness group Progressive Rugby have called on World Rugby to fast-track a package of player welfare requirements into the elite game to urgently address the brain injury crisis blighting the game. Progressive Rugby’s call comes after the recent publication of a peer-reviewed paper that concluded – based on an analysis of existing research – that a causal link exists between repeated head injury (RHI) and the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Having consulted with former and current elite players, the player welfare group insisted that the highest priority for the game must be to reduce a player’s exposure to the number of brain injuries and sub-concussive impacts each season. In doing so, their hope is it will ensure that a majority of elite players can enjoy an extended career and improved long-term health.
The seven-point Progressive Rugby plan:
- Minimum 21-day non-negotiable blanket stand down after a brain injury, irrespective of elite player’s concussion history;
- Failure of in-game HIA1 to trigger minimum 21-day period;
- Mandated weekly ‘bone-on-bone’ contact training limit of 15 minutes;
- Game limit reduced by 20 per cent to 25 games (or match equivalent minutes) and mandated;
- Stiff punishments – including club/country fines and points deductions – for non-compliance;
- Minimum eight-week protected annual rest, including at least two weeks in-season with a further five-week break between seasons and an additional one week to be used at any time;
- Injury replacements only to eliminate collisions between fatigued and fresh players.
Aside from the seven-point plan that Progressive Rugby was fast-tracked, they also called on World Rugby to complement their ideas with six other measures:
- Establishment of a global calendar;
- Mandatory annual brain injury education;
- Brain injury health passports;
- Maximum tackle height at nipple line;
- Further investigation of law changes around rucks and tackle area to protect against exposure to impacts to the head and neck area;
- Abolition of 20-minute red card to provide a consistent deterrent.”
The welfare package from Progressive Rugby comes in the wake of over 185 players suing World Rugby, the RFU and WRU for negligence, claiming that playing the sport has left them brain damaged. The list of players includes 2003 England World Cup winner Steve Thompson and Wales Grand Slam-winning captain Ryan Jones. Irish and Scottish players have also announced separate court actions.
Progressive Rugby’s professor John Fairclough said: “Elite rugby has to hit the reset button right now because these are the players in the shop window of this great sport. There is now no other option but to drastically reduce the number of impacts a player receives over their career and take extreme caution with the management of players who do suffer brain injuries.
“We are talking about the brain, the most crucial but vulnerable organ we have. So that means it’s non-negotiable that we err on the side of caution. If evidence then comes to light that allows that cautious stance to be revisited that’s fine. It has to be the right way to do it.
“The elite game has changed beyond recognition since professionalism and is no longer the contact sport that many of us grew up watching from the stands. A focus on producing increasingly powerful, fitter, faster and dynamic athletes, has resulted in collisions of extraordinary magnitude.
“In the elite game players no longer seem coached to evade the opposition but rather to physically dominate them by running into and over them. But sadly, while elite players’ bodies have transformed to better dish out and withstand these colossal impacts, their brains have remained just as vulnerable as ever.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments