h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/10501327.stm

Of course my (knee jerk) reaction is to say off. High tackles are already banned for a start.

Your thoughts?

A few years ago a family brought their two sons to play. I thought it was bad when the younger son fell as a result of a tackle and broke his wrist. It was the first serious injury to a player I was coaching and turned my guts but I got over it.

A while later the boy's dad started playing about three years later he died from a brain injury he sustained in a tackle.

I did some real soul searching after that.

Is rugby safe? No it obviously isnt but then what is? What is "safe enough"?

As with most issues there are conflicting goals and on balance the dangers inherent in rugby are balanced out by what it offers individuals and wider society.

The proffessor in the article is right If I had a that rate of injury from museum feild trips then Id be looking very hard at what was happening, but she hegelects to or atleast isnt quoted as thinking about other factors.

On techincal points she's right. As you say the high tackle is already outlawed, but its too easy for things to stray from "below a line between the armpits" to on or very near the neck and head, though it would cause some friction with some players and coaches an amendment to the laws saying at u19 level all tackles had to be below the navel would reduce the risk of accidental and higlight malicious high tackles. There would be opposition but it probably would be safer and possibly improve the standard of rugby. Similarly at u19 level the scrum could be changed to uncontested (similar to rugby league). Yes it would reduce the usefulness of fatboys but we are trying to encourage healthy lifestyles and faster, more mobile players.

Lots of people who'd like to be thought of as "puritsts" but in truth are mostly just old duffers who no longer face these risks, pain loving head cases and sado-masocists (we get a lot of those) would moan about it spoiling the game but they would soon bed in like a lot of the other law chages over the last 20 years.

The IRB is faced with a problem - trying to retain the natural rigours, ethos and spirit of the game and trying to keep participation numbers high.

Even with the dangers I think the adult game if referreed properly is safe enough, yes its dangerous but that is part of its appeal. Taking some of the riskier areas out of youth rugby would encourage skill developement, fitness and a better image of the game with parents teachers and medical experts.

What flicked a switch for me and got me through the first injury was watching "Million Dollar Baby". Its not for ust to totally deny someone elses natural desires but if we care for those people we should do our best to keep them safe in what they do.When we had a celebrstion of his life ceremony for his dad the big photo projected as a backdrop was of the two sons and the dad after they had played against each other in the "Generation Game" u30s v 30+.

When I used to be a smoker and was getting harrangued by people concerned for my health I used to say "We are all going to die, Im going to die from something I like. If you want to die in a nursing with your adult nappy full of piss that's your choice and this is mine"