'We want to hear from the critics': World Rugby changing its tune
It wasn’t that long ago where World Rugby were generally viewed as this monolithic organisation, slow to change and impervious to criticism, but that unapproachable reputation appears to be mellowing with the baton of CEO now passed to Alan Gilpin, the administrator best known previously as the face of the 2019 World Cup who had to explain the rationale behind the pool match cancellations caused by a typhoon striking Japan.
Gilpin’s composed handling of that crisis, which saw three pool matches fall by the wayside and some others left in jeopardy until they eventually were given the green light, has ultimately served him well, the administrator initially taking on the World Rugby CEO role on an interim basis before he was permanently appointed in March.
One of the regular past criticisms of World Rugby is that they don’t have a voice, that when problems arise there is collective hiding behind the big corporate curtain rather than demonstrating the eloquence to front up and talk about awkward, hot topic issues affecting the game.
Concussion, in particular, is a subject that has had World Rugby on the backfoot PR wise for quite some time. Every time there is a major debate ignited, they are seemingly presented as the spook in the room, the punch bag for everything that is wrong regardless of any steps that they may be taking to better tackle a thorny issue.
It was last December when a group of ex-players suffering from dementia came together to launch a landmark legal case against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union over alleged failures to protect players from the risks caused by concussion, a development that seems to have spurred the game’s global governing body into becoming more proactive and more vocal about what it is doing in this sector.
"In this area the last year we have obviously heard some incredibly brave testimonies from former players"
– World Rugby launches six-point plan which includes provision of aftercare for former players left stricken by brain injuries
https://t.co/w5reHjgzlq— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 13, 2021
It was why Gilpin and a coterie of his colleagues popped up on a Zoom last week to get their message across prior to the July 14 announcement of a six-point player welfare plan where number one in their half-dozen principal commitments is the advancing of best practice in care, information and support for former players struggling or concerned about their health. In other words, they are willing to start paying the aftercare bills.
It’s a prudent move, committing to work with some public health authorities and providers and brain health specialists to pilot and then roll out a series of facilities for players to avail of who have got concerns about their own brain health as a result of concussions in the game. But will it be enough to reverse the general impression that World Rugby constantly equals bad when it comes to the problem of concussion?
“It’s a great question,” said Gilpin when this was put to him by RugbyPass, that positive steps taken by World Rugby in this area are usually drowned out by the negativity that concussion regularly generates and how it is going to be really difficult for them to change that perception.
“It’s not about being painted as the bad guys. What it highlights to us is the whole debate around concussion and brain injury is that it is a really complex area. As Eanna (Falvey, World Rugby chief medical officer) will tell you far better than any of us, there is a lack of scientific and medical consensus on what some of those things mean.
“What we know is we have got to work with the best science we can, invest more in research, do more that is rugby specific and that is kind of what you are hearing from us now – and what the whole debate also highlights is we have just got to spend a lot more time and energy educating every part of the game.
“Whether that is understanding more in the community game and sharing that information with young players and parents all the way through the community game and definitely at the elite level where that focus really is, making sure that people do understand the processes and the safeguards that are in place around head injuries assessments, around graduated return to play, the introduction of the ICC (independent concussions consultants) concept.
“The more we can socialise that, the more we can educate around that the better people’s understanding will be and the better quality debate that we will have. It will constantly evolve, it is continuing to evolve and we want to continue to evolve with that debate.
“That is why one of our key messages is we will continue to engage in that space all the time. Eanna made the point, we want to hear from the critics because that is how we get challenged in a positive way to try and make things better.”
Right now, the narrative about surrounding concussions is entirely negative, that it is the heartwrenching stories about ex-players who are deeply affected by the issue that are understandably getting told. Is there scope, though, to start better telling the other side of the story, that current players can have a concussion and safely return to play?
“Great point and it’s actually a point we have discussed quite extensively with International Rugby Players is exactly that, that one of the best ways to educate is by the players for the players. Certainly, as we move forward in this space and we look to get a lot more education capability across, that is going to be really key, that we hear from players about the positive experience, how their concussion was managed.”
"Concussion is obviously an emotive area and there will be many opinions on this and we welcome those…"#LionsRugbyhttps://t.co/ybK8fiV5Mv
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 14, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Dad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
129 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
129 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
129 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
129 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
129 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
129 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
129 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
129 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
129 Go to commentsHo hum.
129 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
129 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
129 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
129 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
129 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
129 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
129 Go to comments