Progressive Rugby have praised comments from David Flatman after the hugely popular pundit said that players saying they ‘knew what they they were getting into’ regarding head injuries is absolute rubbish.
Flatman was addressing an audience question during a promotional evening in Bath for his and Mark Durden-Smith’s new book Flats and Durders Offload: Rugby Laid Bare.
“There is so much to say about it we don’t have time – it’s a very serious issue,” he said.
“The fact is you can’t play rugby without mini concussions, but all the law changes you hear fans saying ‘the game’s gone soft’ about are the governing bodies trying to make the game safer.
“Ultimately, it’s not about the elite players, it’s about Corsham U15s and everybody else and their safety. We have elite medical care on the spot when we need it.”
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Below, we look at five rugby stars who were forced to step down, considered retirement or hung up their boots altogether due to concussion in 2021/22.
#1. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand) – Returned after lay-off
The All Blacks, who has twice been named world player of the year, was sidelined after taking a blow to the face during an attempted tackle on Ireland’s Andrew Conway back in November.
The incident resulted in a nasty concussion, and the symptoms were so severe that the 30-year-old admits he considered hanging up his boots.
He told French publication, XV Mondial : “For two weeks, things have been much better. But throughout the off-season, I had migraines, 80 to 90 per cent of the time. Today, it tends to fade, they have become rarer.
“I will gradually resume contact training, I hope to play again in three weeks against the Chiefs. I thought it might be the end of my career. When you feel sluggish 99 per cent of the day, trying several ways to get better, but nothing works, you assume the worst.
“And then you hear about teammates who have to end their careers because of concussions, it’s more and more frequent. I thought it was my turn.
“You learn to get used to small headaches, a bit like a mild hangover. It’s very frustrating because when you wake up, in principle, you should feel refreshed and ready.”