A blow for Rugby Union....

[Tripster]

also both injuries were to his neck and not to the head

The neck contains spinal column and a lot of nerves and delicate stuff to the brain. Who’s to say that some of the damage he did has not caused some of his dementia ? Who knows, but he sought to return despite one specialist saying not to. And as part of the forwards and scrummaging he knew his neck would be under immense strain. Not many people get half a million quid insurance payout for a work injury either so money was not his driving force to play. It was his desire and fighting spirit.

 

[jowwy]

The neck contains spinal column and a lot of nerves and delicate stuff to the brain. Who’s to say that some of the damage he did has not caused some of his dementia ? Who knows, but he sought to return despite one specialist saying not to. And as part of the forwards and scrummaging he knew his neck would be under immense strain. Not many people get half a million quid insurance payout for a work injury either so money was not his driving force to play. It was his desire and fighting spirit.

totally agree......but after suffering the 1st and then suffering a second neck injury he then says this " I have got to accept it this time. There is no way I can play. I can't do what I need to do to earn a living "

 

[T4tomo]

I think one thing that has changed since "back in the day" is professionalism. in the amateur game, people played on a saturday and might have had a training session or two midweek.

Pro players train, often at match intensity 5- 6 times a week. Plus the law changes have maid it more of a contact / confrontational sport, in the 80's you tackled around the knees / ankles, now people just run headlong into each other.
Front rows used to bind up and come together slowly / now its all about "winning the hit"

i have some real sympathy with Steve Thompson et al.

 

[Tripster]

I think one thing that has changed since "back in the day" is professionalism. in the amateur game, people played on a saturday and might have had a training session or two midweek.

Pro players train, often at match intensity 5- 6 times a week. Plus the law changes have maid it more of a contact / confrontational sport, in the 80's you tackled around the knees / ankles, now people just run headlong into each other.
Front rows used to bind up and come together slowly / now its all about "winning the hit"

i have some real sympathy with Steve Thompson et al.

I have loads of sympathy. Pro’s do train hard but for maybe 4 hours of a day. Better than the life we have. And they have chefs on hand to prepare meals, physios, top doctors etc. It’s not a hardship. All I think is it’s a little unfair to start blaming the RFU after he repeatedly came back to play.
I remember a pro super league player who coached us for a while. Had to be at training for 10am on a Monday, train a few hours, then a lunch. Maybe an hour or so in afternoon preparing for game and then that’s it. Spent rest of day playing online poker. Same on a Tuesday, day off Wednesday, repeat Thursday and Friday. Play Sunday. Adoration of thousands of fans and playing the sport you love......

 

[Tripster]

But then again my opinions are based on bollocks and lack of solid factual information

 

[Fab Foodie]

Surely this is the nub. If they knew and kept it from those with a need to know, that was irresponsible at best and arguably an actionable abdication of responsibilities which are rightfully theirs. Surely doing what you can to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the 'community' you claim to represent/lead is an inescapable duty for anyone who takes on the role.

But you have to be realistic. They can't make the sport safe. Big people hurtling around at speed and crashing into each other is not a safe scenario. What they can and should do, it seems to me, is two things: first, be honest, open and as informative as they can about the risks, and second, continue incrementally adjusting the rules/guidance to refs. You'll never eliminate risk, but you should certainly be looking to minimise it as much as you can without changing the nature of the game. (Rugby wouldn't miss high tackles, but it would miss Gary Owens, tho' they come with risk attached.)

Once you've done that, you've done your job. The rest is down to the players.

Yep.

Reading some of those articles it seems that players continued to play when given medical advice following certain injuries and that being the case I can't see how they can blame the RFU for their woes. As highlighted by @Tripster, that as Thompson returned insurance money to continue playing I find it hard to see how he has a leg to stand on, but his lawyers must believe there is some case to argue.

In some sports you have to have a license to compete, at least at a professional level, this could be applied to Rugby players and reviewed after serious injury or when medical advice suggest they quit - their licenses can then be revoked.

 

[Fab Foodie]

But then again my opinions are based on bollocks and lack of solid factual information

You'll go far on CC....

 

[matticus]

All I think is it’s a little unfair to start blaming the RFU after he repeatedly came back to play.

Blimey, if only that was all you'd posted here; in fact, why did you post a load of stuff that you didn't actually think?? Cat learned to type?

 

[matticus]

In some sports you have to have a license to compete, at least at a professional level, this could be applied to Rugby players and reviewed after serious injury or when medical advice suggest they quit - their licenses can then be revoked.

I'm purely playing Devils Advocate here, but as they are PROFESSIONALs, if we considered work place safety legislation ... well it's pretty obvious that they couldn't play against medical advice, or shoot would hit fans at high speed and revs!

 

[Rusty Nails]

Rugby and boxing are at essence rough, vicious and dangerous sports, and, while this is not exactly civilised, it is what makes them so popular. These and many martial arts are unlike other sports in that a lot of it involves physical domination which can cause some damage

You either scrap them altogether, or accept that there are risks once you have mitigated the worst of them.

There obviously needs to be protection for kids, who generally do not have the ability to appreciate the dangers involved, but sporting bodies need to ensure that anyone over, say 18, who wants to take up such sports at local league or above level has the potential long-term risks fully explained to them and sign a waiver indemnifying their club/governing body against future claims. Insurance costs may rise as a result of this approach, but those who want to play would have to decide if they were prepared to pay.

On a minor point I think it was @Tripster who asked if Owen Farrell had reigned in his aggression because of his greater awareness of the effects of head injury. I think he has cut down on the illegal high tackles and shoulder charges because of his recent ban and the realisation refs had sussed him out.

 

[Tripster]

Blimey, if only that was all you'd posted here; in fact, why did you post a load of stuff that you didn't actually think?? Cat learned to type?

Oh I don’t know, maybe to show how bollocks your post actually where

 

[Tripster]

I'm purely playing Devils Advocate here, but as they are PROFESSIONALs, if we considered work place safety legislation ... well it's pretty obvious that they couldn't play against medical advice, or shoot would hit fans at high speed and revs!

We call it something else where I’m from

 

[Tripster]

Rugby and boxing are at essence rough, vicious and dangerous sports, and, while this is not exactly civilised, it is what makes them so popular. These and many martial arts are unlike other sports in that a lot of it involves physical domination which can cause some damage

You either scrap them altogether, or accept that there are risks once you have mitigated the worst of them.

There obviously needs to be protection for kids, who generally do not have the ability to appreciate the dangers involved, but sporting bodies need to ensure that anyone over, say 18, who wants to take up such sports at local league or above level has the potential long-term risks fully explained to them and sign a waiver indemnifying their club/governing body against future claims. Insurance costs may rise as a result of this approach, but those who want to play would have to decide if they were prepared to pay.

On a minor point I think it was @Tripster who asked if Owen Farrell had reigned in his aggression because of his greater awareness of the effects of head injury. I think he has cut down on the illegal high tackles and shoulder charges because of his recent ban and the realisation refs had sussed him out.

Correct, he did not change because of new medical info from the RFU which is why I put it to that fella matticus. He seems to think players change behaviour to protect themselves. Owen still plays hard and aggressive but limits ‘his’ potential to cause someone a head injury but not his own and I doubt he ever will. A player like him never plays 100% fit and always leaves himself open to hard challenges. Gives as good as he gets though

 

[Rusty Nails]

Correct, he did not change because of new medical info from the RFU which is why I put it to that fella matticus. He seems to think players change behaviour to protect themselves. Owen still plays hard and aggressive but limits ‘his’ potential to cause someone a head injury but not his own and I doubt he ever will. A player like him never plays 100% fit and always leaves himself open to hard challenges. Gives as good as he gets though

Yep. He's a nasty little bugger. I wish he played for us.

 

[Tripster]

Yep. He's a nasty little bugger. I wish he played for us.

I grew up watching his dad, same age, and he was a hell of a player and a competitor. Nasty sod too if needed to be.