Paul Wright | ISSA should safeguard school rugby

May was designated as Child's Month, and as can be expected, there were numerous speeches and articles about improving the welfare of our children, particularly those who are designated as 'at risk'. Congratulations to all the well thinking people and organisations dedicated to 'help the youth'. However, there was one aspect of the month's activities that seemed (to me) to avoid the real meaning of Child Month: the welfare of our children at play.

There seems to be a lot of attention and fanfare to the welfare of our children at play, when adults benefit. In track and field and football, large sums are spent, by schools and sponsors, in making sure that competition among our children gets first- world tracks (some schools can now boast of their own modern, first-world running and throwing and jumping surfaces), and the medical and nutritional support to (successful) teams, while not up to first-world status, is a 'work in progress' and improving year after year.

However, there are two aspects of 'children at play' that needs urgent and sustained attention, particularly by those who have the awesome responsibility of being in charge of our children at play. Today, I will highlight one.

Jamaica has qualified for a place in the Rugby World Cup Sevens next month in San Francisco, California. This unprecedented and remarkable feat is due in no small measure to the never-say-die attitude of the Jamaica Rugby Football Union (JRFU) Chairman and chief cheer leader, Jerry Benzwick. Because of his attitude, hard work and belief in the innate skill of our people, Rugby is a fast -growing sport, with both boys and girls involved in trying to emulate the feats of the pioneers, who have made Jamaica a 'ranking' member of the world stage.

The Jamaica Crocs and the Jamaica Lady 'Crocs' have been earning medals and points, qualifying both our Men's and Women's rugby sides to be listed internationally as 'teams to watch'.

Rugby, however has not yet received the blessing of the Inter Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA), therefore competition and practice is undertaken by adults affiliated with the JRFU. The game of Rugby usually comprises 15 players who try to move the ball from their side of the field to the opponent's side and scoring points, depending on how the ball was taken over a designated line. Rugby Sevens is played on the same sized field with seven players, resulting in more speed being generated prior to a tackle, resulting in a greater force on contact.

Knowledgeable rugby fans and players understand that in Rugby Sevens, the increased amount of side-stepping, deceleration and acceleration of the players increases the risk of non-contact injuries in open play. Thus, in this contact sport, new players are particularly vulnerable.

Fact not unnoticed

This fact has not gone unnoticed by the rugby associations worldwide, and recently some figures concerning contact and non-contact injuries need highlighting, as I am not aware of any injury surveillance data being collected here in our fair isle.

Concussion is a serious and important side effect of contact sports. In the USA, in Under 19 and non-elite players, concussion occurs in approximately 42% of Rugby Sevens players, with a staggering 20% of those concussed having another episode of concussion in the next 12 months. International figures also indicate that there is a 100% non-compliance with return-to- play concussion protocols established by sports medicine associations worldwide. Most of the players concussed were those initiating the tackle in open play.

It is also well established in Rugby, that the proper way to tackle involves staying low, head up, elbows in hands up, and shoulders above hips.

This is taught, but in the heat of competition, errors occur and injury results. The question therefore, is what arrangements are made to identify, treat and follow up children playing at rugby who get concussed, remembering that sport-related concussion (SRC) may not involve loss of consciousness.

The majority of SRCs occur without loss of consciousness or neurological signs.

Learn the signs

The injury can be identified during play or practice when the child complains of a headache, or is seen to have balance issues, confused, or is noticeably more irritable. Further, delayed onset of symptoms are well documented. Usually, the injured child will miss days at school after a tackle -initiated injury at rugby. Such a child should not be allowed to return to sports until they have returned to school and demonstrated symptom-free activity. Too often, our injured children who are designated as 'must picks' are allowed to return to sports BEFORE returning to school to be observed by peers, teachers and coaches.

Rugby has taken off world-wide, and we in Jamaica can benefit from the many possibilities that this new frontier offers our children, from scholarships to professional contracts, to the multiple benefits of international travel and competition.

However, the safety of our children at play cannot, should not, be left to chance. We need to include the sport of rugby under the auspices of ISSA, and insist that any competition involving our children be monitored by trained and competent medical personnel. Our future generation depends on us, the adults, to help and protect them.