| HEAD |
| Head injuries are very common in rugby and are a cause of concern. In fact, one in four rugby injuries are head injuries.
There are two types of head injury, namely external (usually scalp injuries) and internal (which may involve the skull, the blood vessels within the skull, or the brain). Concussion is a typical internal head injury.
Due to the nature of the game, head injuries and concussion are inevitable and short of wearing helmets, very little can be done to prevent this injury.
That said, there is strong evidence that stricter application of the rules, along with strengthening of the neck, could have certain preventative value.
Rugby players who have suffered from mild concussion are not allowed to participate in contact sports for at least three weeks, because a second injury within days or weeks of the first can cause serious brain damage. |
