Concussion: A Growing Concern in the Rugby Fraternity

Rugby is a team contact sport that is popular in many countries. Concussion remains one of the inherent risks of participation in rugby union with Certain facets of play, as well as specific tactics and strategies in contact and collision predispose athletes to a greater chance of sustaining a concussion. While other injuries incurred by rugby players have been well studied, less focus and attention has been directed towards concussion. The Third International Conference on Concussion in Sport defined concussion as a complex pathophysiologic process induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. World Rugby (previously known as the International Rugby Board or IRB) has acknowledged that there is a significant risk associated with concussions, and have subsequently implemented a risk management strategy [1]. This systematic review aims to evaluate the available evidence on concussion in Rugby Union (here- after referred to as ‘rugby’) and to conduct an analysis of findings regarding the incidence of concussion and players knowledge on concussion. Data was collected through Library Research on Masinde Muliro university of science and technology, Kenya rugby union, Kenya rugby football clubs, internets and Hospitals and clinics affiliated to Rugby. A desk review was also conducted and a search done PsycINFO®, MEDLINE™, Embase, SPORTDiscus™, Crossref, British Journal of Medicine (BMJ) Genamics Journal Seek, Global impact factor.com, Google Scholar, Academic keys, Open Academic Journals Index, Sherpa/RoMEO (University of Nottingham), Chemical Abstracts (CAS) and Open-j-Gate. Precisely the pathophysiology of concussion is not well known but recent research show that moderate to severe brain injury causes intricate torrent of neurochemical changes in the brain. The assumption is that similar changes occur in concussion. Paucity of literature exists on player knowledge of concussion or the rate of reporting of this injury despite there now being over 20, 000 adult rugby players in Ireland only but other studies showed that participants displayed a relatively high level of knowledge with regard to what constitutes a concussion, the risk that a history of concussion holds with regard to future concussion, and the authority that should rest with medical doctors in clearing players to Return To Play following concussion. In future Biomechanical research should be done with other clinical based research to improve on sideline concussion recognition and treatment modalities. In conclusion more research on concussion education, sensitization and awareness on concussion to help reduce incidences of concussion.