Concussion protocols in English rugby will be tightened up to protect players who have suffered head injuries with the aim of ensuring they do not return to the field of play.
theguardian
The Professional Game Board, which is made up of officials from the Rugby Football Union, the leading clubs and the rugby players’ association, is set to act following research in the United States which found significant levels of early-onset dementia in former American footballers.
As well as backing independent research, the board will introduce a mandatory online concussion education programme which every player in the Premiership and the Championship will have to take before the start of next season, as well as coaches, referees and medics.
Players who have suffered a suspected concussion are taken from the field for up to five minutes for an evaluation by a doctor before they are allowed to return. There have been calls for the period to be extended to 15 minutes but, if the International Rugby Board makes a change, it is likely to be to 10 minutes. Instead doctors will be given a video of the incident which led to the injury to help them determine whether a player may have suffered concussion. And a review panel will be created to investigate if a player is allowed to return to play when it is later revealed that he was concussed.
The final change will focus on the time concussed players need to rest before returning to action. There used to be a minimum three- week rule but that was relaxed with each case being treated individually.