The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby

 
Concussions are not limited to just football. We see players across the sports spectrum getting concussions and dealing with the repercussions. For example in 2002, Rugby star Leon MacDonald was knocked unconscious against Fiji, and just six weeks later, suffered another concussion.

MacDonald stated after the second concussion in six weeks, "that if I got over my symptoms fully before I got another knock, then I'd be back to square one, like everyone else on the field." This for the most part is not true, because studies have shown that people who have had a history of repeated concussions are more likely to recieve aniother concussion than one who has never had a concussion. The risks escelate with every devestatibng blow to the head; especially in a sport with high impact with no helmates. Elizabeth Quinn, a sports physiologist in Texas with a masters degree in sports science, reports Collins as saying "the study indicates for the first time in the high school athlete population that prior concussions may indeed lower the threshold for subsequent concussion injury and increase symptom severity in even seemingly mild subsequent concussions".  In other word it become worse and worse with every concussion that a player sustains throughout his or her career. We must all make these facts know to players and parents of players. This is vital information when deciding when the player should return to play, and whether or not the player should EVER return to play. These decisions are made among other important factors, but the studies are not something to take lightly, because we could ultimately save someone's life just bby educating the public on the risks accosiated with concussions and head trauma.