The backlash against a call for tackling to be banned in schools rugby has continued today, with one England player describing the demand as “a load of b*******”.
An open letter signed by 73 medical experts and academics claims injuries from what they describe as a “high-impact collision sport” can have “life-long and life-ending consequences for children”.
But rugby players past and present have hit back at the claims made in the letter, which has been sent to several public figures including Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary.
Joe Marler, the England prop, wrote on Twitter: “Ban tackling in school rugby? What a load of b*******!” while Richard Wigglesworth, the Saracens and England scrum half, wrote: “Let’s not give these 70 so called experts the time of day. 70 are outnumbered by 1000’s of ppl with real knowledge on the benefits of rugby!”
“Context is needed before some medics blame the game for injuries”Matt Dawson, former England scrum half
Jonathan Sexton, the Ireland fly half, is another to have added his voice to the debate. Sexton has suffered several concussions during his career and was told by a neurologist last year that he was one more serious blow away from having to consider retirement. Despite this, the 30-year-old has rubbished the idea of a tackling ban.
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“I don’t think you can play rugby without tackling. Then, it’s not going to be rugby,” the Leinster player told Today FM, an Irish radio station.
“The IRFU, who look after us unbelievably well, are taking every measure to make sure that player welfare is top of the list and they’re doing everything they can. They’re actually leading the way internationally with looking after players with concussion.”
The letter has been signed by a number of UK academics as well as representatives from universities in places including Miami, Southern California, Hamburg and Malmö, who together refer to themselves as the Sport Collision Injury Collective.
They warn about the risk of concussions to children, saying they take longer to recover memory and reaction speed than adults. The experts also suggest that, in allowing children to play rugby at school, the government is failing its obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to protect young people from the risk of injury.
Professor Allyson Pollock, from Queen Mary University of London, whose son was injured while playing rugby as a teenager, has signed the letter.
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She said: “Parents expect the state to look after their children when they are at school.
“Children are being left exposed to serious and catastrophic risk of injury.”
Will Carling, the former England captain, pointed out that there are dangers in every sport. “So I presume we play cricket with soft ball, no tackling in football, sponge sticks in hockey etc etc???” he tweeted.
And the suggestion that schools should move to non-contact, tag rugby was dismissed by Austin Healey, the former England scrum half, who wrote: “Tag is a waste of time, touch is good for skills but if anything contact should start earlier in weight categories #nannystate”.
Matt Dawson, another former England scrum half, added: “Rugby continues to make the game safer!! Context is needed before some medics blame the game for injuries. What about (the) child obesity issue?”.
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In a Times Twitter poll, 81 per cent of readers answered “no” when asked if tackling in school rugby should be banned.
Last year, it was reported that 23 players retired prematurely from the game because of a head injury. The England Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project Report found that 13 per cent of players had experienced concussion last season, with the condition making up an eighth of all match injuries.