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Rugby Contact Training Slashed for Player Safety
6 Mar
Summary
- Contact training to be significantly regulated across professional rugby.
- Instrumented mouthguards will monitor player impacts during sessions.
- Staggered return to contact for international players after breaks.
Professional rugby clubs have reached a significant agreement to substantially regulate contact training, marking a major achievement for the Rugby Players' Association (RPA). This breakthrough revolutionizes how contact training data is recorded and shared, with a close watch on any concussions suffered by players.
International players will experience a staggered return to contact following their five-week summer break, easing the physical load on England's top stars. A key new requirement is the mandatory use of Instrumented Mouthguards during all contact sessions during the week, not solely during matches. The RPA stated these changes will improve the identification of contact occurrences and player experiences on the field, enhancing overall player protection, especially after the off-season.
This initiative follows calls for drastic changes, including from former England player Steve Thompson, who attributes his early-onset dementia to repeated head trauma. While World Rugby recommended a maximum of 15 minutes of contact training per week in 2021, this guideline has not been mandatory and was frequently exceeded.
