The U.K.'s chief medical officers are being "urged to protect children from the risks of rugby injuries by removing contact from the school game," according to the BBC. Newcastle University professor Allyson Pollock presented new evidence that "banning tackling would reduce concussion, head and neck injuries." A spokesperson for World Rugby said that 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. Writing in an opinion piece for the British Medicine Journal, Pollock and Graham Kirkwood, also from Newcastle University, said that governments had "a duty to protect children from risks of injury and to ensure safety of children" under a UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 19). They referred to a study they published in July in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. 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 (BBC, 9/26). The PA reported World Rugby criticized claims in the study calling for tackling and scrums to be banned in school. In a statement, the sport's governing body "questioned the data on which the claims were based." It said, "World Rugby and its member unions take player safety very seriously and proactively pursue an evidence-based approach to reduce the risk of injury at all levels. These claims are not based on like-for-like injury statistics and the conclusions are not supported by the available data. It is well documented that, for most sports, injury rates increase with age, but the quoted research mixes 9-12 with 18-20 age groups" (PA, 9/26).
STOPPING SHORT: The BBC also reported U.K.-based brain injury charity Headway "stopped short of backing calls for a complete ban on contact rugby in schools." It believes the "focus should instead remain on better coaching and greater awareness of concussion." Headway CEO Peter McCabe said, "We have to be careful to not discourage people from participating in responsible contact sports that have rules in place to prevent or reduce the risk of head injuries" (BBC, 9/26). The London TELEGRAPH reported referees, current and former players and pundits "reacted with sarcasm and disbelief" at calls from experts to ban tackling and scrums in youth rugby up to the age of 18 because of safety concerns. Telegraph columnist Brian Moore offered his "emotional reaction" in the Full Contact Podcast. In his "rant," Moore said that he believes "adults are put at greater risk of serious injury by banning tackling in schools rugby" (TELEGRAPH, 9/26).
