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Supreme Being
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Last Login: 06/01/2012 09:46:25
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| There isn't much consensus on the extent to which protective headgear can protect players. It is generally accepted that headgear will prevent surface wounds and injury to ears, for example, but I understand that there is no medical proof that headgear can actually protect a player from getting concussion. Nonetheless, the IRB has laid down specific regulations on which headgear meets its requirements, and it requires that all headgear worn in games should conform to these standards. The IRB website lists those companies that have met with its approval and whose products have passed the IRB’s own tests. However, rather than offer any sound protection against long term injury, doesn’t headgear simply encourage players to develop a “false sense of security” and to take risks they alternatively would avoid?
Toby Curthoys
Publisher, Better Rugby Coaching www.betterrugbycoaching.com
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 29/05/2007 14:43:42
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| Head gear is regulated so that it doesnt hurt oppostition people when flying into rucks and mauls head first, for example if players were allowed to wear american football helmets etc they would obviously be less prone to concussion but would therefore cause more injury to opposition players, rugby is a dangerous sport because of the minimal protection of the body, but then again if players werent built well enough to take the hit there would be far more injuries. the best form of protection is self protection, for example if a player has good technical knowledge and abilities they will tackle more safely as well as being built to make and break tackles causing less personal injury and potentially injury to opposition players.
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Supreme Being
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Last Login: 17/01/2012 20:00:07
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I am not aware of any data either way on the subject, but it is interesting to note that concussion is an issue in American Football. The helmet will prevent exterior damage but will not prevent the brain bashing into the inside of the skull, the cause of much concussion.
It is often argued that head protection will make players more "careless" with their heads, injuring either themselves or others. This argument gains some support from the fact that rulemakers within American Football have had to introduce rules relatively recently to outlaw certain practices where the helmet was used to cause injury. I recall a fashion for hitting the QB v hard in the upper chest with the intension of getting the helmet to hit his chin. This resulted in a lot of QBs being injured and I understand steps were taken to outlaw the practice.
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 16/07/2007 22:01:24
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| To be completely honest I always thought headgear was to stop cuts and cauliflower ears as opposed to actually stopping you getting concussed. I started to wear headgear after 15 years of play, and it gave me more confidence. My first 14 years were in Cornwall and at university just outside of london and weren't really that competetive,and i didn't wear headgear. This last year I'm in North-Western Queensland at a mine, and the ground is hard as rock. Wearing headgear in 45C heat isn't much fun, and I recently received my first major concussion which had me KO'd for over 45 minutes, ambulanced to hospital, and I had short term memory loss for over a week. It also ended my season with the doctor not allowing me to play for hte final 6 weeks. I was wearing headgear when it happened, and honestly, I don't think it made a bit of difference. But for giving me confidence to play, and to make tackles and so on, it was invaluable - it allowed me to carry out correct technique without fear of injuries. Without my headgear I wouldn't commit fully, and we all know what issues that can lead to. I'm not a good player by any stretch of the imagination, and there's only 4 teams out here (we play each other 6 times before the finals each year) but surely if it helps you feel good about playing then it's a good thing? As long as you don't go into it thinking that you'll never get hurt because of headgear / padding then you'll be OK. Cheers guys, Treeve
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 09/05/2008 22:24:24
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| Sounds like a pretty bad concussion there, Treeve. I hope you recover fully soon. Ideally, I think a player with headgear should feel no more confident than one without. To my way of thinking, protection should be as a last resort to prevent even worse damage in the event of injury, not to encourage risk-taking. I think most coaches and players recognise the limited safety afforded by headgear. Put it this way: would you allow Mike Tyson to punch you in the head, even if you had rugby headgear on? Personally, I think all child players should wear headgear, because of their generally weaker technique and physiques, and because players should be comfortable with all equipment from a young age if possible. I do worry that younger players and their parents particularly don't understand the limited protection headgear affords, however. Coaches really have to underline this to avoid needless accidents, and manage player over-confidence.
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 10/07/2007 11:38:15
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What I would like to see is protective headgear only allowed for medical reasons as it is my belief that it does create a false sense of security, I also believe this to be the case with body Armour.
As the game has got bigger faster better (QED) the hits have got bigger harder and faster what next crash helmets and kevlar armoured body suits.
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Supreme Being
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Last Login: 17/01/2012 20:00:07
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| I have never seen the point of those little shoulder pad things. (unless you go for the huge spring loaded gridiron ones) A pad is there to spread and diffuse an impact, like from a cricket ball on your shin. Shoulders rarely hit hard pointy things in tackling. What is there to spread? The impact area is the whole shoulder already. It is interesting to note how many RU players use them and how few RL players do, despite the large number of big front on tackles the RL guys make. Shane Webke used a foam pad on he stirnum held on with tape and that was all, for one of the most destructive and uncompromising props ever to don the green and gold. I guess those pads and the shirt things they come in do keep you cosy on a cold day!
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 05/11/2007 21:16:43
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| On a slightly different note. Gumshields. I can recommend having a shield made at your dentists rather than one of the boil in the bag jobbies. It cost £30 and one of the best bits of kit I've ever had. Very comfortable to the point, the barmaid had to point out that I was still wearing it on occassions.
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 16/07/2007 22:01:24
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Thanks Tony - I had post concussional syndrome for at least 2 weeks afterwards - no short term memory. Quite embarrassing when people ask you to sign invoices from the day before and you have no recollection of them being handed to you... I also spent a good bit of time wandering aimlessly around the office without knowing why I'd left my area, but hoping something would trigger me!
On a serious note, I never used to wear headgear all of the way through school back in Cornwall, and then through Uni I didn't play. 6 years later I end up in W. QLD at a mine and decide to pick the game up again. This is where the problem comes in for me - I remember the good old days of running for a whole match and being useful in a tackle, but to be completely honest, I'm pretty hopeless now - technique is still there, but my confidence is out the window and fitness / flexibility is not what it used to be. The fitness and flexibility is coming back - the more I train the easier it gets, even when you have to play games in 48C. The confidence thing though - we're all our own worse critic, and my confidence has taken a drop. Quite often I'll take my headgear off at halftime, because I'll be feeling confident enough and it's way too hot. other times I'll put up with the sweat for my own peace of mind.
Certainly making younger players wear headgear makes sense. I've seen the schools out here split teams up not by age but by weight. Therefore you could use a height / weight restriction to make smaller players wear the kit and then the bigger tougher kids not have to. Only an idea though. Oh yeah, dentist made gum shields are awesome - got my first one last season, well worth the money. For the first time in my life I? could breathe whilst I was wearing one.
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 14/08/2008 14:29:55
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| Like anything there are pros an cons to wearing head gear when I started playing they were banned, as a result, because of damage to my ears I always used zinc oxide tape to (unsuccessfully) stop damage to my ears which resulted in spending a couple of days picking gl;ue out of my hair. On shifting to using head gear I am now at a stage that I don't notice it, I forget that its on so there is never a concious decision that ''I'm wearing a head guard so I'll drop on that ball''. If youre a confident player, I dont think a guard will mage you any more or less so, yeah it may be a little differnt over the first few weeks but the novelty wears off. In terms of protection, I know I have got up out of situations where I know I would have normally had a lot of damage (kicked in the head etc) a possible negative could be that people seem to be more willing to do these kind of thing if youre 'protected'.
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