UPMC Ireland’s Post

The Sports Medicine journal has published the full paper by the Otago Community Head Impact Detection (ORCHID) study. The research encompassed 328 New Zealand male rugby players between the ages of 10 and 30 and found that 94% of all head accelerations registered no higher than 20g of force, which is the upper end of what’s commonly experienced when jumping on a trampoline. Click the link below to read more from Sports Business Journal. #headimpact #headinjury #impactmonitoring #mouthguards #preventbiometrics #worldrugby #injuryreduction #sportsbusinessjournal #ORCHIDstudy #study #UniversityofOtago

Exciting developments are underway in the world of Rugby, particularly in the realm of player welfare and performance enhancement. We're thrilled to share insights from a groundbreaking BBC Sport article that delves into a cutting-edge brain cooling trial with the potential to revolutionize player safety. 🔍 Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Innovative Brain Cooling Trial: The article unveils a pioneering brain cooling trial aimed at mitigating the risk of head injuries and enhancing player safety on the field. By implementing innovative techniques to cool the brain, researchers and medical professionals are spearheading efforts to reduce the severity of concussions and related injuries in Rugby Union. 2️⃣ Potential Game-Changer: This trial has the potential to be a game-changer in the world of rugby, offering a proactive approach to safeguarding player health and well-being. As the sport continues to prioritize safety measures, initiatives like the brain cooling trial represent a significant step forward in fostering a culture of player welfare and protection. 3️⃣ Collaborative Efforts: The article highlights the collaborative efforts between scientists, medical experts, and rugby stakeholders in driving forward this groundbreaking research. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and a shared commitment to innovation, the Rugby Union community is poised to usher in a new era of player-centric care and injury prevention. Stay tuned as we monitor the progress of this transformative trial and its potential implications for the future of Rugby. Together, let's champion advancements that prioritize the health and safety of players at every level of the game. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ehfvPAQm #HealthcareInnovation #PlayerSafety #Concussions #BrainInjury #MedicalResearch #SportsScience #Rugby #SafetyFirst #BrainHealth

There is growing concern in regards to rugby union player safety and ongoing medical problems following a concussion or long-term participation in the game. Because of the nature of rugby, players are exposed to repeated head acceleration events (HAE), potentially resulting in a concussion. We want to gain a better understanding of how these HAE affect male and female adolescent rugby players so we can create a safer rugby environment. Secondly we are investigating how headgear can help mitigate head impact magnitude. Four students involved in the study will share their area of research and the direction the study is going in the future.

Rugby Union: Using technology to make the game safer! By Prof Dr Steve Cornelius, Sports Law Centre, University of Pretoria, South Africa In previous posts entitled "Is Rugby sitting on a concussion time bomb?" and “Has time run out for Rugby Union?”, I have highlighted research at the University of Durham, UK, which revealed that professional rugby players suffered more concussion during their career, than athletes in other sports, as well as the impending law suit by former international rugby union players to hold World Rugby, the English Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union, liable for the long term health concerns, which the plaintiffs link to concussions and other head injuries that they had sustained whilst playing rugby. On a positive note, World Rugby has not taken the threat of severe long terms side-effects of concussion and the threats of litigation lightly. World Rugby has funded independent research into the severity of head impacts during rugby matches at levels ranging from under 13 to elite players. These studies involved researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand and Ulster University in Ireland. Players who participated in the studies used smart mouthguards that contained accelerometers and could record and transmit the head acceleration data of individual players. The results of the studies were peer reviewed and published in the journal Sports Medicine. The studies can be accessed at https://lnkd.in/e7denAu9 and https://lnkd.in/ej__CudU World Rugby has put a positive spin on the results and explained that 86% of forces measured during the studies, are the same or less than the forces experienced in other forms of exercise, such as jogging or skipping. They added that 94% of the forces measured are lower than those that have previously been measured on people riding rollercoasters. For the full report, see: https://lnkd.in/emYAeF23

Great to see the research being done. However, this reads like a bit of a whitewash. While the players are playing with excellent skills and to the rules, the research found head trauma is minimal. The representation is disingenuous to say “nothing here to see”, as the ACC stats and reality are quite different. Head trauma in Rugby is a thing, because people playing do not have perfect skills and execution. The risk is very much sit there. Sure we can now take this and adapt the game to match skill levels with reduced injury risk. But don't tell us it's safe, when it's clearly not. https://lnkd.in/gC5ryit2 Head knocks and rugby: Study reveals real impact on head forces at community and elite level

Completing the medical assessments and sports medicine leadership for Scottish rugby today

Great to see the research being done. However, this reads like a bit of a whitewash. While the players are playing with excellent skills and to the rules, the research found head trauma is minimal. The representation is disingenuous to say “nothing here to see”, as the ACC stats and reality are quite different. Head trauma in Rugby is a thing, because people playing do not have perfect skills and execution. The risk is very much sit there. Sure we can now take this and adapt the game to match skill levels with reduced injury risk. But don't tell us it's safe, when it's clearly not. https://lnkd.in/gP-QpEEp Head knocks and rugby: Study reveals real impact on head forces at community and elite level

Children in Oxfordshire are SIGNIFICANTLY less likely to be active if they have a special educational need or a disability. However, try telling that to the legends down at Gosford All Blacks, Witney Wolves or Wallingford every Sunday. There's loads of fun, loads of movement, loads of rugby as a vehicle for socialising, moving and playing. We've got a heck of a long way to go but considered commissioning, building capacity and peer to peer support in this way breaks out of the cycle of grant funding short term-ism and builds something to last. If you have any questions about how it all works, co-founder Jessica Harrison is the person at Active Oxfordshire or Darren at GAB is the fly half pivot around which this all flows *jargon glossary: the last line means that Darren is the person making it all happen.

Prevent Biometrics’ instrumented mouthguards (iMGs) have allowed World Rugby to measure every single impact that could potentially result in a concussion. World Rugby stresses that the devices are not intended to diagnose concussions, however, emphasizes how valuable they are to advancing player welfare. This World Rugby newsletter breaks down how the use of iMGs represents a new era in head impact research in the sport. Visit the link below to read the full newsletter. #WorldRugby #headimpact #headinjury #reducingrisk #impactmonitoring #mouthguards #preventbiometrics #playersafety

The power of sportsmanship is truly remarkable, as it has the ability to completely transform a game. This year, the world unites under "Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies," highlighting the incredible impact sports can have on society.   May we all strive to embody the values of sportsmanship in all aspects of our lives. Wishing everyone a Happy International Day of Sports for Development and Peace. 🤍🥳🎊   #Sports #SportforDevelopmentandPeace #SportDay #SportforDevelopment