World Rugby, please stop using the Ostrich Approach!
The latest comments made by Alan Gilpin on behalf of World Rugby sum up the approach of arrogance and ignorance that has become typical of this organisation.?
As a lifelong lover of rugby I hoped that Rugby Union would learn from other codes who had been professional for some time.?Repeatedly we don’t.?
Not one person involved in rugby expects perfection but wherever I played and coached in New Zealand, Wales, England, South Africa, Australia, France and everywhere else we have always been honest and direct with one another.?
Our game has been about honesty, integrity and transparency and we expect that from World Rugby and Alan Gilpin.?
This week’s comments from Alan Gilpin do not ring true of what we stand for in rugby.?
World Rugby know that there is a connection between impacts to the head incurred during rugby and subsequent degenerative brain disease. If they didn’t know before the last few weeks, all the indisputable evidence that has come to light has made this clear.?
But with his latest comments Alan Gilpin chooses to attempt to discredit a case brought against World Rugby instead of address the real issue.?
World Rugby have known the reality of the situation for at least 10 years, when Dr Barry O’Driscoll informed them that HIA’s weren’t fit for purpose.
But World Rugby haven’t acted like real rugby people and had the courage to stare the problem in the eye and address the problem.?
Several years ago World Rugby observed and had the opportunity to learn from the litigation brought against the NFL, when it was shown the impacts players incurred had led to brain injury and the subsequent diagnosis of CTE.?
World Rugby has had an opportunity for years to lead on the issues of brain injuries in the sport.?
They have known about the impending recent litigation for more than 1.5 years but have not engaged properly in an attempt to find solutions as they are aware that dialogue could imply culpability.?
Instead they adopted the ostrich ‘head in the sand’ approach, hoping the problem would go away.?
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This week, instead of addressing this issue in our game and acknowledging the ground swell of research from around the world from numerous sources (see below) they have chosen to try and raise doubts about the validity of the litigation and claimants.?
Gilpin queries that the numbers of claimants with problems has grown.?
Instead of seeing this as an acknowledgment that the issue is real, that people are coming forward like in any movement or industrial action he instead chooses to try and capitalise on this and try and raise doubts about the claimants.?
Perhaps the number is growing because real rugby people like Ryan Jones have no choice because whilst they wait for the governing bodies to actually do something and make effective change and help them and others still in the game, World Rugby instead choose to channel their energy in the wrong place and query the numbers of those affected.?
There have been many developments in the last few years around the issue but this is a line in the sand moment when the CEO of the organisation that runs the game we love has displayed his intention to attempt to discredit and cover the issue rather than address the real issue and in doing so taking the opportunity to display one of World Rugby’s stated values, Integrity.?
This isn’t the strong leadership we require, wanted or expect.?
Every person I know in rugby wants the game we love to be improved, to grow and be safe for our children but until World Rugby actually pull their head from the sand and pretend that all isn’t rosy, that people are not manufacturing the problems then we as a game and a community can’t move forward.?
The irony is that those drawing attention to??the problems actually love the game, they want the game to grow and know that means we need transparency and honesty.?
Sadly I’m no longer sure of the motives of those running the game.?
Tech Enthusiast| Managing Partner MaMo TechnoLabs|Growth Hacker | Sarcasm Overloaded
2 年Ben, thanks for sharing!
Property Entrepreneur | Retired from Corporate Life
2 年An honest assessment Ben of the state of play. As someone involved with age group rugby would be hard to argue to parents anything different is being done. Worrying and short sighted approaches seem more commonplace.
Assistant housemaster, teacher of mathematics and sports coach at Clayesmore School
2 年Totally right Ben, The problem will not go away whilst the game is coached at all levels by people who are incapable of independent thought and simply seek to mimic the game they see on television.
Help former ?? players drop 20kg in 12 weeks, without giving up ?? or Curry.
2 年Great Post Ben. So much of our game could be improved by making the game safer
Founder and clinical director of musculoskeletal services | Dublin Physiotherapy Clinic | Manual Therapy | Sports Medicine | Injury Prevention | Neck Pain | Shoulder
2 年Agree Ben, Lots of proposals getting thrown about but not significant change that I can see. I wonder how much the integration of rugby league defense coaches (and subsequently attack coaches) since the onset of professionalism have influenced the pattern of the game - the law of unintended consequences? I'm thinking of 2 man tackles as routine, 1 low and one to strip the ball or prevent off-load, flat alignment with dummy decoys and pop passes, an obsession with defending the gain-line which has led to "offensive" tackles rather than simply defensive. I used to be quite happy with a wrap and slide tackle, contacting at the waist, that brought a player to the ground rather than a front-on, full speed, smash we see today. I do wonder about this with the underage kids I help coach and what the coaching message is from the administration.