Concussion's knock-on effect: poll

RUGBY player Jyall Widders has suffered concussion four times in the past few years.

Widders, 18, plays fly-half for Easts Rugby Club’s under-20 side.

‘‘You feel all numb and weird,’’ Widders said.

On one occasion, he was completely knocked out.

Widders said being concussed ‘‘doesn’t concern me now’’, but he did wonder about long-term effects.

‘‘I’ve seen stuff on TV about it,’’ he said.

He supported his club’s efforts to take positive steps to manage concussion injuries.

Dr Andrew Gardner, a Newcastle-based clinical neuropsychologist, is working with the club to improve management of concussion.

The club’s president Andrew Hill said Dr Gardner was doing ‘‘base tests’’ on the players.

‘‘If they suffer a concussion during the season, they do the test again and Andrew can analyse that and say, ‘this is the part of the brain affected and this is what we need to do’.’’

He said the free service was available to all the club’s players, including children.

The club sent its trainers to a two-day concussion course, which allows them ‘‘to make assessments on the spot’’ in games.

‘‘They have a concussion recognition chart with them.’’

Mr Hill said the education process for new concussion guidelines would take time for ‘‘all parties’’ to be fully familiar with them.

During a game this season, he said a referee ‘‘would not allow us to remove a player from the field for a concussion assessment’’ until a touch judge stepped in.

Widders said concern about concussion  didn’t deter  him from wanting to play.

‘‘I like playing contact sport,’’ he said.

‘‘If you do get knocked out, it’s part of the consequences of the game.’’