Rugby Thread

[Grizzly]

Those days were truely hardcore. I have played only a few games of league and there is no way I could have kept up with the intensity for 80 minutes. The stamina needed was immense.

Agree with what you say. The emphasis in union has become about 'winning' the tackle or the breadown which demands massive impact. The whole nature of union needs to change to make it in any way viable. Clearing out etc needs to stop. Sadly lowering the tackle height helps the person being tackled but it puts more risk of the tackler making contact wiht a knee or hip (which was how I got my one and only concussion).

Sadly, rugby does not have the funding to provide long term support for those suffering as a result, the money is just not there at professional level and at club and lower level. I feel for every player suffering as there for the grace of God go I.

Oddly, the finances retrospectively may not be the issue - they ought to be covered by employers' liability insurance. Its the impact moving forwards that will be the killer, because premiums will skyrocket, even if the game makes the changes needed.

 

[GB72]

Oddly, the finances retrospectively may not be the issue - they ought to be covered by employers' liability insurance. Its the impact moving forwards that will be the killer, because premiums will skyrocket, even if the game makes the changes needed.

I was commenting more on the point made earlier that the sport needs to set up a fund to help players suffering but the cost of that could run into millions if you are looking at the game from top to bottom and I suspect that the undiagnosed amateur cases could be a scary number. That is something the game just cannot afford. I also think much will depend on the insurance side as to how much a player was pressured or allowed to play when the advice at the time was clearly not to. That was very much the peak of the 'man up' generation when it came to rugby injuries.

 

[Grizzly]

I was commenting more on the point made earlier that the sport needs to set up a fund to help players suffering but the cost of that could run into millions if you are looking at the game from top to bottom and I suspect that the undiagnosed amateur cases could be a scary number. That is something the game just cannot afford. I also think much will depend on the insurance side as to how much a player was pressured or allowed to play when the advice at the time was clearly not to. That was very much the peak of the 'man up' generation when it came to rugby injuries.

I don't imagine it will be as significant of a problem in the lower ranks of the game - the level of intensity/physicality is not the same, nor is the amount of training that players have ever been required to do. I hope I'm not proved wrong on that given the number of years I played!

 

[GB72]

I don't imagine it will be as significant of a problem in the lower ranks of the game - the level of intensity/physicality is not the same, nor is the amount of training that players have ever been required to do. I hope I'm not proved wrong on that given the number of years I played!

My concern was more based on what can only be descrived as the 'relaxed' attitude to concusion, protocols, head impacts and injuries in general at the lower levels of the game, or at least when I played.

 

[Grizzly]

My concern was more based on what can only be descrived as the 'relaxed' attitude to concusion, protocols, head impacts and injuries in general at the lower levels of the game, or at least when I played.

Valid point - though one of my last appearance saw me red carded for a genuinely innocuous challenge because I made contact with the head so things were at least getting better - and I would imagine the fact of those games being amateur/between non contracted players would give the Governing Body some mitigation.

 

[GB72]

Valid point - though one of my last appearance saw me red carded for a genuinely innocuous challenge because I made contact with the head so things were at least getting better - and I would imagine the fact of those games being amateur/between non contracted players would give the Governing Body some mitigation.

Agree, from the stand point of any litigation I am fully in agreement. Again, on the subject of a fund for support in the future, the RFU as bastion of all things rugby, cannot be seen to abandon the amateur game on this and that is where the issue may come.

 

[Robster59]

My concern was more based on what can only be descrived as the 'relaxed' attitude to concusion, protocols, head impacts and injuries in general at the lower levels of the game, or at least when I played.

It's something drilled into you in Rugby (all codes) that if you get a knock, you get on with it. And then a shower and a beer afterwards should sort it all out. I agree that at the lower levels, the protocols that they use in the professional game won't get followed with the same diligence.

 

[GB72]

It's something drilled into you in Rugby (all codes) that if you get a knock, you get on with it. And then a shower and a beer afterwards should sort it all out. I agree that at the lower levels, the protocols that they use in the professional game won't get followed with the same diligence.

Back in my day there were (as far as I am aware) no protocols and it was a miracle of there was any medical care at the ground below first team level. We had a bucket and sponge and that was it. I remember having to wait until full time and then half time in the 6 nations match in tv before someone would take me to hospital to have a dislocated shoulder popped back in (and then I was a wuss as some used to put them back in on the pitch and play on).

 

[Robster59]

Back in my day there were (as far as I am aware) no protocols and it was a miracle of there was any medical care at the ground below first team level. We had a bucket and sponge and that was it. I remember having to wait until full time and then half time in the 6 nations match in tv before someone would take me to hospital to have a dislocated shoulder popped back in (and then I was a wuss as some used to put them back in on the pitch and play on).

Quite right

 

[Val]

Cheslin Kolbe is probably the smallest international nowadays, not sure he's quite as diminutive as the Welsh Wizard though!

Darcy Graham very similar in size

 

[Piece]

One of my team (football) has been side-lined due to rugby concussion for 23 days. He's 14!

 

[HeftyHacker]

One of my team (football) has been side-lined due to rugby concussion for 23 days. He's 14!

Not uncommon unfortunately, I reckon I sustained possibly 3 concussions before I was 18, and that was as a winger so about as far away from the action as I could be. Standout protocols were pretty non existent and on one of the occasions I was pressured to come back early. This was only 13 years ago.

One of my friends has recently been diagnosed with MND at the age of 44 and its heartbreaking to see his deterioration in the 6 months or so since he was diagnosed.

Covid and the recent news has definitely had a massive impact on the amateur game with many clubs struggling to get 2nds and junior teams out now. A lot of people had the enforced break over covid and simply never returned.

My club seems to be the exception to the rule and have actually recently restarted their 3rd team to make sure everyone can get a game at a weekend and avoid more players falling by the wayside.

I dont think there's another sport that quite breeds the same sense of camaraderie and belonging though and the demise of the amateur game would be/is a huge loss.

 

[fundy]

Sounds like Wasps heading into administration having called off the Exeter game at the weekend

 

[GB72]

Sounds like Wasps heading into administration having called off the Exeter game at the weekend

Yep, the prospective buyers did not want to take on the debt so are insisting on administration first. That also suggests that they want the ground and not the rugby club. Most speculation is that the prospective buyers want to buy the ground and buy the football club and have no interest in Wasps at all (cannot blame them, they are haemoraging money). At best they come back next year in the Championship but I suspect that we have seen the last of Wasps and Worcester as viable clubs.

Invites will be extended to a couple of Welsh regions to join the Premiership as there really are no prospective suitors in the league below who can help restructure and grow the league.

 

[HeftyHacker]

Invites will be extended to a couple of Welsh regions to join the Premiership as there really are no prospective suitors in the league below who can help restructure and grow the league.

This will be interesting. I'm a bit out of the loop on rugby politics but are the regions privately owned or owned by the WRU? And would that mean anything to them joining the premiership?

 

[Val]

Yep, the prospective buyers did not want to take on the debt so are insisting on administration first. That also suggests that they want the ground and not the rugby club. Most speculation is that the prospective buyers want to buy the ground and buy the football club and have no interest in Wasps at all (cannot blame them, they are haemoraging money). At best they come back next year in the Championship but I suspect that we have seen the last of Wasps and Worcester as viable clubs.

Invites will be extended to a couple of Welsh regions to join the Premiership as there really are no prospective suitors in the league below who can help restructure and grow the league.

None of the Welsh regions would add anything to the Premiership.

 

[GB72]

None of the Welsh regions would add anything to the Premiership.

True except income from 2 more games and potentially attractive to fans. Not sure bringing up Ealing, Doncaster or Pirates would help, could work with a smaller league which has many benefits but that would need the income from Wasps and Worcester P shares to be split amongst the remaining clubs

 

[Val]

True except income from 2 more games and potentially attractive to fans. Not sure bringing up Ealing, Doncaster or Pirates would help, could work with a smaller league which has many benefits but that would need the income from Wasps and Worcester P shares to be split amongst the remaining clubs

Honestly, Scarlets have beautiful 16k seater stadium and they'll get 5k max, likewise at Ospreys in Swansea. The other pair are no better in smaller arenas. I wouldn't be so sure the URC would allow the WRU to withdraw 2 teams without asking them for money back. WRU are absolutely skint.

 

[Captainron]

France have zero brains on the field against England. 6 points behind with 7 minutes to go and keep kicking the ball back to England who just hoof it back for territory. Their wings are particularly guilty.

The overall standard has been less than stellar in this match and the tournament as a whole so far.

 

[Val]

France have zero brains on the field against England. 6 points behind with 7 minutes to go and keep kicking the ball back to England who just hoof it back for territory. Their wings are particularly guilty.

The overall standard has been less than stellar in this match and the tournament as a whole so far.

If you're going to kick for territory that late then the kick has to be contestable which it wasn't. Crazy play.