Keeping Your Little Ruggers Safe on the Field
Rugby’s Growing Appeal
Rugby is a fabulous sport with wonderful benefits, and it is growing in popularity despite what you might read in some media. In the 2022/23 school year, 8.3% of children aged 5-16 had played rugby on a weekly basis, up from 8.1% the year before, but down from the high of 9.7% in 2019 when England was last in a World Cup Final [1].
That said, many of those players are at schools where the game is compulsory rather than clubs where it is a choice. Some clubs are experiencing a reduction in recruitment numbers and retention numbers when the game transitions from ‘touch’ to ‘contact’ rugby.
One of the key drivers in this number drop is the fear of injury, particularly brain injury. It is unsurprising that, with media attention focusing on sensationalism and the hot topic of concussions and head injuries, many parents are concerned for the safety of their children. A recent survey conducted by the British College of Osteopathic Medicine found that “79% of parents expressed concerns that their child could suffer a potential brain injury from playing rugby.”[2].
Positive Steps Towards Safety
The reality, however, is that the game of rugby union is probably safer than ever at the youth level. The RFU says the sport has huge benefits, including boosting “confidence, self-esteem, self-discipline, and character,” and in recent years, it has made great strides to ensure maximum safety for players:
- Age Grade Regulation: Guides player ages, numbers, and activities.
- Rugby Safe: Ensures coaches are qualified, with first aid and concussion training [3].
- New Tackle Laws: Improved tackle techniques and reduced contact in training.
- Safety Protocols: ‘Recognise & Remove’, ‘Graduated Return to Play’, and ‘If in doubt, sit them out’ focus on player safety and welfare.
Coaches, parents, and players themselves are far better informed on the dangers of head injury, recognizing signs and symptoms of concussions, and how to follow a graduated return to play than ever before. The collective approach to safety is, in itself, very ‘rugby’. After all, it’s a team sport, and it’s all about the collective of the group working together. We train, play, win, and lose together. We look out for, and look after each other. It’s one of the beautiful elements of our game.
Hedkayse’s Commitment to Player Protection
Should we be worried about how to keep our ‘Little Ruggers’ safe? Yes. Obviously. But we don’t need to worry alone. We are a collective, a team, and we work together with knowledge, awareness, recognition, and support in the interests of the safety of our children, our ‘Little Ruggers’, and the future of the game.
Here at Hedkayse, we are part of this collective. Our ethos is: Innovate, Educate, Protect.
- Innovate: Using science and technology to develop world-leading protective materials.
- Educate: Working with experts in concussion recognition, prevention, and recovery, and offering presentations to clubs, schools, coaches, parents, and players.
- Protect: Our core fundamentals are to protect the long-term future of rugby and its players.
Our World Rugby Approved R5 headguard, using Enkayse®, offers full head coverage and unparalleled performance to help mitigate against non-concussive load and rugby incidents.
Learn more about the R5.
References
1. Published by Statista Research Department, May 22, 2024
2. British College of Osteopathic Medicine Survey March-April 2023 – 311 respondents (to be published January 2025)
3. https://www.englandrugby.com/run/player-welfare/rugbysafe