Jamie George, England’s hooker, says that he feels much safer playing rugby professionally now than he did earlier in his life.
He admitted, at 35 years old, that attitudes towards head injuries had changed dramatically over the last 15 years. In the early days of his career, it was common for players to stay on the field after sustaining a serious injury. The approach today is totally different.
George thanked Ben Youngs, a former England rugby teammate for launching an important discussion about head safety through a documentary. Youngs, he said, is the best person to do so given his extensive experience in rugby as England’s highest-capped male player.
George has made it very clear that he is confident in the medical staffs at England as well as Saracens. George believes that concussion treatment has made significant progress. He believes that players are more aware of the seriousness of brain injury and take greater care to protect each other.
Even his 2-year-old daughter could play rugby in the future if that’s what she wants to do.
Players and Concussion Protocols
The rugby authorities have taken several steps to safeguard players against head injuries. There are smart gumshields, which measure the impact force, as well as pitchside doctors and mandatory head injury assessment.
George acknowledges that all contact sports carry a certain level of risk. He believes that players are safe because medical supervision and strict protocol is in place.
Ben Earl, a teammate of England’s Saracens Ben Earl also shares this view. He claimed he had never been mismanaged. He believes that medical staff can be too cautious, and hold players back for longer than desired. He understands, however, that the player’s welfare is paramount.
England under Pressure before Italy Clash
England is under pressure to perform on the pitch, even though safety will remain a major talking point. The Six Nations is on the line and England must win in Italy to prevent further disappointment.
Matt Weston, the double Olympic champion in skeleton racing, visited his squad recently to boost morale. Weston won both individual and team gold medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Games. He played rugby for Sevenoaks as a left winger before turning to skeleton.
George called the visit inspiring. Weston gave insights into his Olympic experience and brought gold medals with him to the training sessions, which helped boost team spirit.
England came into the tournament with 11 consecutive wins, and had hoped that they could set up an all-important title match against France in Paris. In the end, Scotland and Ireland’s defeats have taken away momentum.
Since 2000, when Italy became a member of the Six Nations tournament, England has never lost more than four out five games in any campaign. In 32 prior meetings, they have a 100% record. Italy, however, is confident after defeating Scotland as well as Ireland and France.
If England loses in Rome, they will be considered outsiders to France. They could end up with only one victory.
