Putting 'fun' back into safety
Two tragic incidents this past weekend again highlighted the risks of a contact sport like rugby – at both elite and grassroots level.
South African Under-20 lock JD Schickerling and schoolboy Dyllan Beneckhe both suffered serious neck injuries at the weekend.
Schickerling, a star of the Baby Boks team that lost to England in the Final of the IRB Junior World Championship in June, was injured playing for the WP U21 team against their Bulls counterparts at Loftus Versfeld. Beneckhe was injured playing for Tukkies (University of Pretoria) Youth Club against Harlequins in a Under-16 league match.
Both players are being treated at the Little Company of Mary Hospital in Groenkloof, Pretoria.
All Black flyhalf Aaron Cruden, speaking to rugby365 in an exclusive interview, highlighted the value of the newly launched Rugby Safety Awards in the drive to avoid such tragic incidents.
"This campaign, the AIG Rugby Safety Awards, has been introduced to raise everybody's awareness on the safety aspects of rugby,"Cruden said in a telephone interview from the All Blacks' training base in New Zealand – where they are preparing for the next stage of their Rugby Championship campaign.
Interview continues below the sound clip!
"It starts from the lower levels, right down at the grassroots and builds it's way up right into the professional level," Cruden said, adding: "It is making people aware of the easy things, such as wearing your mouthguard, or wearing your headgear, your basic tackle techniques to keep your head in the right position.
"It hopefully helps to ensure you don't get a stray knee and potential concussion.
"There is [also] a fun aspect where clubs can send videos in, with the best videos [standing a chance of] being awarded prizes."
"It is something fun-loving, but also to raise everybody's awareness."
The 25-year-old All Black pivot, who has 34 Test caps to his credit, said the risks for serious injury is just at great at grassroots level as it is in he professional game.
"Regardless of what level you are playing, it still is a physical sport," he told rugby365.com.
"In physical sports injuries can and will occur.
"It is important the coaching and mentoring you are getting is making sure you are aware of he right techniques to help you keep yourself as safe as possible – that can only be a good thing for the game moving forward."
By Jan de Koning
* This Aaron Cruden interview was brought to you courtesy of the AIG Rugby Safety Awards, a global campaign to tackle safety in rugby. Find out how you could win safety equipment for your club here: www.aig.com/saferugby
