Is it Time to Stop Children From Playing Contact Sports?

With the news that a group of medical professionals has called for a ban on contact rugby in schools, it seemed timely that we revisit the issue of sport and child brain injury. Last year, I wrote 'Is rugby putting my child at risk of brain injury?' and once again, this appears to be a contentious issue.

The 70 doctors, sport scholars, public health professionals and academics who signed a letter proposing a school contact rugby ban, raised concerns as to the excessive numbers of concussions, fractures and other injuries that often result from playing rugby. They referred to schools because children take longer to recover from such injuries and are more likely than adults to suffer long-term consequences.

This, unsurprisingly, has resulted in a number of angry outcries and more than a few references to wrapping children in cotton wool. For many people, rugby is not just a sport it is an opportunity for children to learn discipline and to exert their energy in a positive way whilst picking up invaluable teamwork skills.

How have charities responded to the rugby tackle ban?

Perhaps surprisingly, the Oxfordshire branch of brain injury charity Headway announced their opposition to the proposed ban. Headway Oxfordshire CEO, Jamie Millar, said:

"To make the most of all our lives we need to and will take risks, controlled risk taking is essential in our development in gaining knowledge and new experiences, in part risk taking has defined us as a species and we would be lesser beings without it.'

Conversely, Headway's head office and fellow charity, the SIA (Spinal Injuries Assocation) both announced support for the suggested ban, though for Headway this was specified as 'cautious.'

Pros and cons of a ban

Although it is a given that we all want to protect our children, the question of banning traditional practices is always a divisive issue that is not easily resolved.

In my previous blog about rugby and the dangers of brain injury, I referred to research that found that 1 in 8 children suffer an injury that keeps them off the pitch for seven days every rugby season. This is worryingly high. Furthermore, research carried out by England Rugby showed a concerning trend for under-reported concussions in boys.

On the other hand, I also referred to the extra time, money and resources being spent on both preventing concussion and improving the procedures related to concussion.

Nobody is talking of banning rugby altogether, but there are conflicting ideas on the best methods of change: does the tackling stop or do we simply work harder to try and reduce the number and seriousness of injuries? In either event the debate can only be helpful and at the very least should serve to improve monitoring of head injuries and assessment of rules.

The effects of a childhood brain injury

In our work with the Child Brain Injury Trust, we see the hugely impactful changes that a childhood brain injury can have on a family. And, yes, sometimes these injuries result from playing sport. At present there is a lack of conclusive evidence as to the actual numbers of children who suffer serious brain injury after playing sport, and indeed, this in itself is a problem.

Professor Allyson Pollock, who is an outspoken critic of children's rugby, has said

'Not enough is being done by the government to put in place injury monitoring and prevention strategies'

With better monitoring of school injuries, we would be in a far better position to take a stance on the ban proposed by doctors and other professionals. But, with a lack of conclusive data, we feel it appropriate to step back from either supporting or opposing the ban.

As things stand, it is important that those with the power to do so ensure the safest playing practices are in place, including removing children from the game if they suffer a concussion.

When this is not done, and those holding responsibility for sport-playing children fail in their duty of care, the consequences can be huge and this is when tragedy can occur, as in the case of Ben Robinson.

For families that have been affected by a child brain injury, The Child Brain Injury Trust has a wealth of practical information sheets that can be accessed for free. These include a sheet on childhood concussion: https://childbraininjurytrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Concussion.pdf.

If you would like to read more about the Child Brain Injury Trust, you can do so here.