All professional players and coaches will have to take and pass a new mandatory online concussion awareness module, as part of a host of changes to the way concussion will be managed across the professional game in England this season.
All male Premiership and Championship players over the age of 18, as well as contracted England Sevens players (which will cover all of the Elite Performance Senior Squad, Saxons and U20 players) will have to take the test. In the women’s game, England representative players over the age of 18 will also have to take it, while coaches and referees will be asked to complete the course.
The aim is to better educate players on the dangers of concussion, and what to look out for if you think you might have it in a game. There will be an end-of-module assessment that all players will be required to pass. Should any player or coach not pass, or fail to complete the course by the required date, there will be an automatic fine, and the RFU has the power to make that player/coach ineligible for upcoming games, until they have completed it.
All medical staff at professional clubs will also undertake additional concussion management training.
There are also changes to the PSCA (Pitche Side Concussion Assessment), which will now become known as the HIA (Head Injury Assessment). Any case of suspected or confirmed concussion will continue to be removed from the field of play, while the assessment period will rise from five to ten minutes. The memory test has been strengthened, and the balance test altered, with the aim of “enhancing the information team and independent doctors have available to them when making a return-to-play decision”.
At all Premiership grounds, as well as Twickenham, doctors will have access to TV feeds and replays to help them in their assessment of players. A review process will be undertaken over the course of the season by two independent medical practitioners.
Simon Kemp, Chief Medical Officer at the RFU, said: “These significant changes were driven by the Professional Game Board Medical Advisory Group review of the 2013 Concussion Forum and continues the programme of work that we have been delivering over the last ten years on concussion.
“Working closely with Premiership Rugby and the RPA we believe this will provide a comprehensive package of processes designed to enhance all elements of professional player concussion management. The education module, game day management and return to play protocols have been independently reviewed and validated as well as backed by compliance.
“Importantly these changes are consistent with the Recognise, Remove, Recover, Return message, which is relevant to all levels of the game and will deliver key knowledge and behaviours needed. Following the initial roll out of the module our aim is to make a version of it available to all levels of the game.”
Martin Raftery, Chief Medical Officer at the IRB added: “Concussion education, management and research is at the very heart of Rugby’s player welfare strategies aimed at protecting players at all levels of the Game. I would like to congratulate the RFU, Premiership Rugby and the RPA for their forward-thinking education programme that not only provides consistency with our own Recognise and Remove programme, but will play a large role in changing culture in the Game.”
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
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