A study around the attitudes towards concussions among amateur rugby players was made public today. The study found that an alarming amount of players said they would continue to play rugby despite being aware of their concussion and that they would intentionally avoid seeking medical attention after a suspected concussion.
Just last week, two Japanese boxers died from brain injuries after receiving blows to the head which went untreated.
This issue is alarming enough that our Women’s Rugby team is introducing mouthguards that will alter when a player may have suffered a blow to the head that warrants getting examined for a concussion. These will be introduced ahead of next week’s World Cup.
To unpack all this, Kieran is joined by Colin Doherty, Professor of Neurology at Trinity and Consultant Neurologist at St. James’s.