'What's concerning us is that some different issues have become conflated'
World Rugby has vowed they “do not stand still” on the issue of player welfare amid claims that playing the sport has caused brain damage.
Lawyers for more than 185 players are suing World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union for allegedly failing to “protect players from permanent injury”.
The claimants include former Wales captain Ryan Jones and England’s 2003 World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson, with many of the former players diagnosed with early-onset dementia and other irreversible neurological impairments.
Speaking exclusively to the PA news agency, World Rugby chief executive officer Alan Gilpin said: “We have heard these stories and testimonies and we have huge sympathy with the players involved and their families.
“The first thing is heartfelt sympathy and our commitment is to listen as much as we can to those players’ testimonies.
“For those who are engaged in legal action we can’t engage them directly. That is really unfortunate, but our commitment to them is we don’t stand still on this stuff.
“We’ve put a huge amount of work in on player welfare and will continue to follow an evidence-based approach.”
Lobby group Progressive Rugby says it is “finalising a comprehensive list of player welfare critical requirements” that will be submitted to the sport’s world governing body.
World Rugby unveiled a six-point plan in July 2021 to advance player welfare in the sport.
Among the initiatives – which placed a sharp focus on former players, women and the community game – were independent concussion consultants to support the elite game’s graduated return to play protocols.
Over the last 18 months the ORCHID study has been run by New Zealand’s University of Otago to consider head impacts in community rugby, with its full results to be published around October.
Gilpin said: “One of the challenges is that if you are going to follow the data and the science, it takes time.
“What’s concerning us is that some different issues have become conflated.
“That’s what is happening at the elite professional end of the game – an issue we have to deal with – to how quickly it becomes a debate of ‘is it safe for my kids to play rugby?’
“The research will show across the biggest study undertaken in community sport that the type of impact being suffered in age-grade rugby and in community rugby are incredibly different to what we’re seeing in the professional game.
“Our message is that there are two different debates here and we cannot confuse them.
“The type of impacts are very different and we have a tackle ready programme in the community game focused on teaching the right tackle technique.”
This tackle-ready element has been extended to the women’s game, which Gilpin says is the “fastest growing part of our sport” with a 10-year plan in place to build on the foundations laid.
Gilpin says law changes, officials and the attitude of team management have helped rugby become a safer sport while maintaining its status as a true spectacle for fans.
World Rugby’s head injury assessment (HIA) protocols were criticised by safety campaigners after Johnny Sexton was selected for Ireland’s second Test against New Zealand last month.
Ireland captain Sexton was forced off in the first Test following a collision with All Blacks forward Sam Cane.
Gilpin said: “It was an incident which was actually misunderstood as Johnny came off with a HIA1, which is effectively a tool to try and understand whether he’s been concussed.
“In that case he actually passed HIA1, which means he wasn’t concussed.
“Ireland took the more conservative approach and he didn’t return to the field of play.
“So he didn’t go to the return to play protocol because he wasn’t concussed in the first place – and that’s a really important distinction for us.
“I think we saw across the July series that national teams were careful handling players, as well our adjustment to the graduated return to play in an individualised approach before that window.
“It meant that players who had suffered what we call ‘Criteria One’ and who have clear symptoms can’t return in that first 12-day period.
“The implementation of that was really good.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The 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 👍
1 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 commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments