OPINION – The way in which particular injuries are governed and dealt with in adult rugby have very much come to fore of the game in recent times. With a game as physical as rugby union, this time was inevitable, especially in the professional era. But with rugby becoming an increasingly popular sport among England schoolchildren, should the RFU be looking at grass roots rugby as the basis for implementing guidelines and regulations in order to ensure the safety of the people playing it?
If we look at the injury figures of rugby compared to that of football, the rate of injury is almost three times as many; and of these injuries over 50% happen during the tackle, a common occurrence during a game of rugby.
This statistic is understandably daunting for any parent wanting to introduce their son/daughter to rugby at a young age, particularly when some collisions have been likened to that of a 20mph car crash. The statistics do however depict an environment that is a lot more dangerous than the reality of competitive school rugby.
One can’t pretend that rugby isn’t a dangerous sport and that people won’t sustain injuries, but it is simply part and parcel of a sport that is highly competitive and fast-paced. However, with all the changes that have occurred at the professional level of rugby, the sport does need to be sifted through with a fine toothed comb by the governing body, after all, everyone begins the sport playing at a grassroots level. One problem typical of rugby in particular as it is such a sport that depends on size is that children who play rugby don’t develop in a uniformed way which leads to under/overdeveloped children playing in their age group.
England rugby need to take a leaf out of how the grassroots game is managed in New Zealand in terms of the way they group young children depending on their weight category. This extensive protocol ensures that if a player is either undeveloped or overdeveloped, they are matched with players around them that reflect their physiological make up. This in turn greatly reduces the likelihood of them being injured by or injuring others around them. It’s a simple concept but could have a profound impact on how many injuries occur throughout school rugby in England.
The dispute that took place last year between Will Greenwood and the Professor of Public Health Allyson Pollock regarding the dangers of school boy rugby presented two arguments that essentially illustrated both ends of the spectrum in addressing the dangers, but failed to actually determine a suitable solution. It was either let them continue in the same direction we’re heading in, or scrutinise and regulate the game so extensively that it is no longer the sport we love.
Both raised interesting ideas with Greenwood speaking of how “life is about taking knocks, getting back off the floor, and going again”, and Pollock maintaining that ‘rugby is becoming a byword for brutality’. Both sentiments contained elements of validity but the best solution has to be to find a middle ground.
Along with the work that Rugbytots is doing for English school rugby in educating them about the game and bettering their skills, a set of regulations alongside it to try and improve the safety of younger children partaking in rugby could not only reduce the injury rates, but encourage parents to feel reassured about their child’s safety and consequently be more open to signing them up to the local rugby club.
Greater participation would no doubt have a flow-on effect in regards to the quality of English rugby so why shouldn’t we attempt to make a change? The foundations and guidelines are readily available, we just need the RFU to implement these changes and instigate a new age of safety oriented rugby. It is only then, that we could go some way in shaking off the ‘dangerous’ reputation that rugby is constantly being associated with.