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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/sep/08/rugby-tackling-should-be-banned-in-schools-say-doctors
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| Rugby tackling should be banned in schools, say doctors | Rugby tackling should be banned in schools, say doctors |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scientists and doctors have renewed calls for rugby tackling in schools to be banned. | Scientists and doctors have renewed calls for rugby tackling in schools to be banned. |
| Researchers from the Sport Collision Injury Collective argue that youngsters are at risk of serious injury from the game, which is often compulsory and overseen by PE teachers with little or no specialist training. | |
| The researchers say tackling is responsible for nearly two-thirds (64%) of all injuries and 87% of concussions. | |
| A panel of experts discussed the issue at the British Science festival in Swansea on Thursday. | |
| Before the event, the researcher Adam White, who is studying for a PhD at Winchester University, said schoolchildren could feel the benefits of the sport without having to tackle one another. | |
| White, who used to play as a prop for Torquay rugby club, said: “Concussion injuries are particularly high in rugby, but the problem is that reporting is often low because it’s an invisible injury. | |
| “This is particularly problematic in children because the effects of concussion last longer and their brains are far more vulnerable. | “This is particularly problematic in children because the effects of concussion last longer and their brains are far more vulnerable. |
| “We already protect children from injury in other ways – when they are travelling in cars or preventing them from drinking alcohol. | “We already protect children from injury in other ways – when they are travelling in cars or preventing them from drinking alcohol. |
| “Sport should be exactly the same.” | “Sport should be exactly the same.” |
| Tens of thousands of youngsters play rugby in schools across the UK – and according to the Sport Collision Injury Collective the game is compulsory in almost three-quarters of schools in England. | Tens of thousands of youngsters play rugby in schools across the UK – and according to the Sport Collision Injury Collective the game is compulsory in almost three-quarters of schools in England. |
| However, despite growing reports, and some high-profile cases of children being injured on the rugby field, experts say there is a lack of medical data. | However, despite growing reports, and some high-profile cases of children being injured on the rugby field, experts say there is a lack of medical data. |
| White said: “The trouble is that we are still putting people’s lives at risk while we collect those figures. | White said: “The trouble is that we are still putting people’s lives at risk while we collect those figures. |
| “Logically, if we don’t understand the risk then we should be avoiding it. | “Logically, if we don’t understand the risk then we should be avoiding it. |
| “Let’s put this in work context. You would not be forced to do something that was not essential and placed you at risk. | “Let’s put this in work context. You would not be forced to do something that was not essential and placed you at risk. |
| “With sport, there tends to be a backwards approach, which has sadly proved tragic in some well-documented cases.” | |
| He added: “We are calling for the tackle to be removed from schools’ rugby only and the reason for that is because most PE teachers are not trained in rugby and also the compulsory nature of it. | He added: “We are calling for the tackle to be removed from schools’ rugby only and the reason for that is because most PE teachers are not trained in rugby and also the compulsory nature of it. |
| “Out of the schools that we have sampled, 73% of schools in England make rugby compulsory – therefore students have to tackle and play full contact. Only 9% of those schools obtain parental permission beforehand.” | “Out of the schools that we have sampled, 73% of schools in England make rugby compulsory – therefore students have to tackle and play full contact. Only 9% of those schools obtain parental permission beforehand.” |
| White said he was confident that removing the tackle in school rugby would not make the sport less fun, and could make the sport more inclusive. | White said he was confident that removing the tackle in school rugby would not make the sport less fun, and could make the sport more inclusive. |
| “There are hundreds of school pupils that would prefer to play the sport and get involved if the tackling aspect was removed,” he said. | “There are hundreds of school pupils that would prefer to play the sport and get involved if the tackling aspect was removed,” he said. |
| “Is there the potential that it could hamper the Home Nations’ teams in the future? I don’t think so. We are only calling for a ban on tackling in schools. | “Is there the potential that it could hamper the Home Nations’ teams in the future? I don’t think so. We are only calling for a ban on tackling in schools. |
| “There have also been studies done which say that tackling isn’t really learned properly until the age of 18 – so is there a necessity to learn it so early on?” | “There have also been studies done which say that tackling isn’t really learned properly until the age of 18 – so is there a necessity to learn it so early on?” |