The UK’s chief medical officers (CMOs) are being urged to protect children from the risks of rugby injuries by removing contact from the school game.
Prof Allyson Pollock, from Newcastle University, is presenting new evidence that banning tackling would reduce concussion, head and neck injuries.
They referred to a study they published in July in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in which they re-examined the rates and risks of injuries in sport.
Their analysis found that rugby had the highest concussion rates in children – 4.18 concussions per 1,000 athlete exposures – compared to 1.2 for ice hockey and 0.53 for American football.
A spokesman for World Rugby said it was unaware of any new evidence that would challenge the current position.
Last year, the CMOs rejected a call for a ban on tackling in youth rugby.
They said the benefits of learning, training and playing rugby outweighed the risks of injury.
SOCIAL REACTION:
Most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!!!! 😡😡😡 https://t.co/QO8R842XYN
— Allez Wasps (@AllezWasps) September 26, 2017
The whole point of rugby is it hurts and people get hurt.
let’s move on.#Rugby
— JB (@Jbeardmore) September 26, 2017
Exuse me? You want children running around each other while swinging a hockey stick, are you insane?
— Ben Kay (@BenKay5) September 26, 2017
instead of talking about banning tackling/ scrums in rugby, talk about organising children in weight categories, not age. Huge safety bonus
— Will Carling (@willcarling) September 26, 2017
Those cricket balls are hard aren’t they!
— Ben Kay (@BenKay5) September 26, 2017
Ahhh get it now you’re selling a book? I’m trying to keep a sport alive that offers so much more than data https://t.co/yBpZwaeez5
— Austin Healey (@IamAustinHealey) September 26, 2017
touch isn’t rugby.. It’s prancing around like a dick.. If they take contact out of rugby then they need to give it a new name
— Katy 🌼 (@WhatKatySaid) September 26, 2017
Everyone knows this. They’ll never ban it. Nor should they. Let’s move on, and let’s ban swimming because water can be a danger. https://t.co/zpGPiqMfnr
— David Flatman (@davidflatman) September 26, 2017
36,000 children & adolescents injured themselves on bunkbeds each year
Let’s start with the bunkbeds
Then move onto rugby @AllysonPollock https://t.co/TprKvTVQde
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) September 26, 2017