Rugby, like all sports, is ever-evolving.
With the dawn of professionalism in 1995, the reach, profile and demands of the game have grown.
Some things never change and with a contact sport comes risk, yet concerns continue to grow regarding the issue of head injuries.
Advances have been made, with law changes aimed at reducing high challenges and Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocols introduced by World Rugby, but the spotlight was shone on the issue further in a recent BBC documentary by former England star Ben Youngs.
Head injury in rugby is not new but it may have ramifications for sport as a whole with former British and Irish Lion David Irwin agreeing Youngs’ documentary is making people “sit up and say that something needs to improve”.
Irwin – a former Ireland international, Ulster player and 29-year doctor with the province – outlined the reason a group of former players including Mick Molloy, Trevor Ringland, Ciaran Fitzgerald and Keith Wood have come together with the aim of making rugby “a safer game to play”.
“Changes in the game from the amateur to professional era and players becoming bigger, stronger and faster, have led to massive collisions and as a result, there are more players getting concussion-type injuries,” Irwin told the Ireland Rugby Social podcast.
“It’s not just straight concussion but sub-concussive injuries that can put you at risk of degenerative issues down the line like dementia processes.”
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