Saturday’s final Bledisloe Cup match provided us with a good example of where rugby needs to be consistently better. I’m not talking about controversial tries or bad TMO calls, I’m talking about the need to better police concussion.
In the 52nd minute of the Test, Brodie Retallick, a man with a history of concussion, was elbowed in the face by Dean Mumm. He went down in a heap and stayed down for a considerable time.
On the judicial side, Mumm has already been cited and banned for one game which is possibly not harsh enough. Incidental or intentional, the elbow pales in comparison to the fact that Retallick was able to get up without being checked for concussion and play out the rest of the match.
He wound up taking another head knock late in the game and is subsequently in doubt for the All Blacks northern hemisphere tour.
This is an issue that we are all complicit in and we need to do better.
If you don’t believe me, ask the NFL. In 2009, they were ordered to pay $765 million to provide medical help to more than 18,000 former players because they were ignoring the risks of concussion. That number accounts for every professional rugby player in the last 20 years.
Concussion may not seem so bad at the time and in the past, we’ve been told to just shake it off, but research has shown that it is far worse in the long term. Repetitive head injury causes chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which has a host of life-altering symptoms such as depression and can eventually lead to ALS, dementia and death, so it should probably be taken more seriously.
The problem in rugby, as with American football, is that completely removing the risk of concussion would mean completely destroying the game we all love. Rugby is physical and injuries are common; however, given the effects of concussion, we need to be doing everything we can to reduce them.
We are guilty of ignoring the problem or at least, not fully acknowledging it and on that count we can do better.
One area that can happen is with match officials. Officials have the best seat in the house and should be able to identify potential concussions. How do I know? Because I am a ref and I constantly see head knocks which is why it was so surprising that no one managed to see the Retallick incident.
Sure, Nigel Owens may have missed it, but there are another four officials who could have caught it, including the TMO. If it was obvious to the commentators, then TMO, Shaun Veldsman, should have seen it.
After all, he seemed to pick up on things that didn’t even happen. If not the match officials, then the independent doctor should have seen it. Someone should have been able to report it to Owens who could have stopped the game and enforced a concussion test.
Perhaps this is where our regulations and protocols could be improved.
And of course there are mitigating factors, the lines of communication during a professional game are hectic and the incident happened during a long sequence of play in which Retallick just got up and continued playing. In fairness, would you want to deal with an angry concussed beast of a man like Brodie?
Some may even claim he was simply acting to get a penalty, but do we want to take that risk? For Retallick’s health and the health of future players, we have to identify knocks and get them seen to.
Everyone needs to up their game from the players to the refs. Embracing masculinity is great, but the ethos of playing on with injuries is quite frankly idiotic and even more so with concussions.
rebel
Guest
No, not ok with it at all. Shame you are not mature enough to put aside petty differences to have a proper discussion about players health.
rebel
Guest
He was on the ground for an extended period after receiving a blow to the head. Sorry but that's enough to warrant a check on the sidelines. We are only just scratching the surface of long term head injuries. A game of rugby is not that important in the big scheme of things.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Good responsible article Edward, and timely. It is a pity that some take the time to call these swan diving as if certain officials took that line crucial time could be lost. Still think some sort of head gear is required as I'm sure everyone who gets one in hindsight wishes there was something between their head and whatever it hit with a crunch...anything almost... to cushion that critical hit at the time.
Edward Pye
Roar Guru
Thanks Shane, it is annoying but thats the level of scrutiny that rugby also needs.
CUW
Guest
Hodge was subbed - he collided with Fekitoa. there was a very bad collision between Leicester 15 and Racing 2nd rower - the full back was out and was carried off. but then he came iout later and sat on the bench. if rugger is going to sub every time someone gets a head knock , just maybe they need a bigger bench.
CUW
Guest
i repeat; maybe he passed the initial test. maybe he was just stunned - u see it often with boxers and mma fighters - who stagger but remain competitive in a few . also they can see if he is not right from GPS. if he is not moving properly , not at expected pace, no covering the ground , etc. there are many ways to identify it. but as i said before differnt people are affected differently. it is not clear cut. if my memory is right READ played thru his concussion in that super match ; only after he got sick ( maybe in 2015).
Redsfan1
Guest
For a nation that was crying about obstruction from Haylett-Petty, NZ is strangely ok with it from Retallick and Whitelock.
Dat Mavis
Roar Pro
I think agree, just think the onus is on the medical officer to tell the ref who needs to come off.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Hi Edward I believe that rugby at the elite level is nearing having to go to the NFL system. The NFL have a medical officer neutral from the teams that watches all the broadcast feeds & is also at the game venue. If he sees a player that he suspects has picked up a head knock he alerts the teams medical staff to get him off the field straight away. No ifs no buts the game stops until that player has been taken off so he can be given a concussion assessment exam. That player can not return to the field unless he is passed by a NFL appointed doctor. Many of the NFL teams are also not actually allowing the player to return even if he is cleared to error the side of caution.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Hopefully it encourages Mumm not to strike another player regardless of the provocation as well
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Manufacturers have given up calling their helmets as any form of concussion protection mainly because they are terrified of lawsuits.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Retallick received attention from the AB medical staff. Can't understand why he wasn't taken off for a HIA.
Edward Pye
Roar Guru
For sure CUW, but from what I understand, Brodie Retallick was not checked at all - he just played on without anyone even noticing, despite many people seeing it on TV. The test itself is another issue all together, but not being checked at all is not good enough.
CUW
Guest
dude its not that easy . concussion remains one of the medical mysteries till date. there are ppl who shake it of in a couple of minutes and there are others who suffer for weeks or months. case of Charlie ngatai is the ebest eg. am sure the medics followed the protocol to identify IF BR was ok or not. they have a certain procedure , which i think is applied universally. u cant blame them if he passed it. also dont forget u can monitor players now thru GPS trackers. if the player is not right , it can be seen from the GPS . that is where the case of Cudmore and George Smith and a French back in a club game (whose name i forget) come to the front. they were played on , despite clearly concussed. who can forget Smith and his snake-feet. the French back was a major controversey - he came on becoz they had no subs , not only concussed but also bleeding with stitches on. every sport / game is now taking concussions seriously. UFC has mandatory standdown of one month for any fighter irrespective of concussion. if diagnosed with a concussion they are on standdown indefinitely. Rhonda Rousey has been out for almost one year now. even the WWE has taken concussion seriously. Daniel Bryan ( Yes movement) was " retired " becoz of concussion. some of the signature moves have been scrapped - like the "curb stomp" of Seth Rollins ( so much so , it is now even removed from his wiki page!!!) noone knows how a person will be affected by concussion , or when. some people suffer long after the actual event - like ALI.
Dave_S
Guest
Yep there are ways to make it work. For eg an independent medic can report a concern to the TMO who is then required to tell the ref to halt play and have the player medically assessed. An employer in the broader community is not allowed to force a worker to work if a Dr certifies them unfit for work. Just requires the will to engineer the right mechanisms
Dave_S
Guest
Agree Geoff and Ed
ClarkeG
Guest
Simple then. All fixed.
Dave_S
Guest
Edaward I didn't express that well. I should have put quote marks around the words accountable and responsible. My concern is with refs being unfairly lumped with the legal and/or moral responsibility to act, and someone unfairly holding them to blame if they do not. The power to act can quickly be transformed into a responsibility to act, even where it is not reasonable to impose that responsibility. (I speak as a lawyer in this regard) The world is unfortunately full of people looking to blame others. Reffing is already a tough job without adding to that. The real responsibility lies with team management and organising bodies, unfortunately their track record is putting their own interests ahead of players is too many. instances.
Edward Pye
Roar Guru
Sure, that's what I'm advocating, but it needs to be firmly enforced. It was quite incredible that Retallick was able to go unchecked for a whole game when he was out for at least 30 seconds
Edward Pye
Roar Guru
I think there's a cultural issue at play here as well. In the traditional manly narrative, some idiot is getting lippy at the bar, so you sock them in the mouth to shut them up. they wake up with a headache and you triumphantly stroll out of the bar with your girl as a hero to one and all. In another version of this story - you sock the lippy guy in the mouth, he hits his head on the bar and has to be taken to ER, he can't remember anything from the previous evening. 3 weeks later, he starts becoming depressed, he can't shake the haze and constant headaches and after several months it finally becomes too much and he kills himself. Depressing but also real.