2. Concussion in Rugby

How common is concussion in rugby?
It is hard to say how common concussion is as players often don’t admit to being concussed or there isn’t someone who can correctly diagnose concussion available at the time.

How common concussion is also varies depending on the level of play; studies in professional rugby have shown that it occurs at a rate of about 3.9 per 1000 player hours (i.e. one concussion in every six games among all the players involved) whereas studies at amateur adult level suggest that concussion occurs at a rate of about 1.2 per 1000 player hours (i.e. one in every 21 games).

What is rugby doing about concussion?
Over the years there have been a number of specific initiatives within rugby, and an ongoing programme of player, coach and official training and education which all contributes to the prevention of concussion. Some of these include:

• Laws
• Regulations
• Guidelines: the RFU has been involved in and contributed to the development of current international guidelines on concussion management in sport and specifically in rugby, with the IRB. These guidelines have been developed utilising international research evidence and expert opinion and underpin what we develop in this area.
• Concussion awareness and education targeting players, coaches and officials
• Coach education
• First aider education
• Healthcare professional education

Egham Hollowegians aims to ensure all coaches, players, and parents have basic awareness of what concussion is and ensure the latest concussion management guidelines are adhered to.