Continuing to play after being concussed - as was the case this weekend when Hurricane halfback Piri Weepu was knocked unconscious - could lead to death, says a local head injury expert. A second blow to his head during Saturday's game could have been fatal.
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SA Rugby last week warned schoolboys not to continue playing post-concussion, after 18-year-old Pretoria schoolboy Tommie Watson died from a head injury he received during a rugby game.
Sending rugby players back onto the field after a concussion is unacceptable and could lead to fatalities, says Professor Peter Rose-Innes, retired head of neurosurgery at Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, and long-time proponent of modifying the rules of the sport to prevent injury.
According to Rose-Innes: “It is absolutely unacceptable for a player to continue playing after a concussion – that is, loss of consciousness, however brief, after a blow to the head.”
He was commenting on the incident that occurred during Saturday’s match between the Hurricanes and the Crusaders, when Hurricane halfback Piri Weepu was knocked unconscious in the ninth minute, but got up to kick his team's first penalty three minutes later.
A serious error of practice
“To let him play was a serious error of practice,” says Prof Rose-Innes. “Anyone who has been concussed should not continue playing. In fact they should not be allowed to play for at least three weeks after such an injury, and then only if they are completely well and symptom-free. They should also be monitored during the three-week period and be reassessed before they resume playing.”
Concussion makes the brain vulnerable
Prof Rose-Innes stresses that a concussion should always be treated seriously: “Even a mild concussion is a significant physical shake-up that leaves you vulnerable to further injury from far lesser causes than would normally be a threat.
“In a contact sport like rugby, there are of course many such possible causes, such as a tackle or even getting bumped or jerked. These can all further shake and stress the already injured brain, and may lead to further complications, such as bleeding into the damaged parts of the brain.”
Effects of concussion cause more mistakes
Prof Rose-Innes also points out that the effects of the recent concussion may make a player functionally disabled on the field: “After a concussion, the player may well not be playing as he would normally. He may have problems with balance, co-ordination and physical control, and may not be as fast – making it more likely that he'd make mistakes and sustain further injuries.”
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