This is a story every parent of a rugbly playing child should read. But be warned - it's very sad. Not an easy read at all.

[NorthernLebkuchen]

here

This is something that parents should be aware of as their children get involved in rugby - so that you can engage proactively and ensure they are protected whilst enjoying this fantastic sport.

I have a very enthusiastic under 8 player. I have taken note for the future and hope no family has to go through that again. What a sad story.

It's awful isn't it. In retrospect so easy to have prevented and at the time so impossible to do so.

Oh that poor family :(

Awareness needs to be raised.

What a devastating story. I have a rugby playing teen and I'm in tears.

Anything - none of mine go near a rugby pitch and I was the same. I'm sorry it's upset you but I linked it because I think it needs to be read and shared.

my dd plays rugby and has already had concussion once

Did you feel it was well handled Random? I doubt you can play rugby for any length of time without concussion tbh. It's what happens when that happens that is the issue.

My heart goes out to that family. Just awful.

that is heart-breaking. And shameful. The terrible, shoddy way their son was left to die and the dreadful way they have been treated ever since.

FFS, concussion is NOT a rare, unknown thing that couldn't have been predicted or prevented. Coaches and referees must (should!) know this stuff. And they should be doing something about it. Before that poor lad died and every day since they should be protecting youngsters - and adult players - from concussion and especially repeated concussion.

Yes it was well handled. She got hurt felt fine to play on went onto the pitch then she feel okay so she was pulled straight off and sent to the sick bay. They then called paramedics and I met up with her at the local A&E.

Just to go off on a tangent. My dhs rugby club has signs up everywhere with the symptoms of concussion.

I'm not keen on him playing rugby now he's 42,but I met him as a rugby player. He came home with a huge bump on his head last weekend and a blood shot eye to boot.

I can't make the link work, very briefly I see a Guardian article and then it disappears straight away.

urgh meant she suddenly didn't feel okay

Don't worry Northern - I have a print copy of today's Guardian and was planning the read the article in full anyway.

It's a story close to home, but awareness must be raised. Team mates should know to look out for symptoms like confusion. It's just not worth it. I know there are strict rules in professional rugby league around concussion ... You assume that coaches and refs are trained in this area.

This is why I won't allow my children to play rugby.

I was friends with a large number of rugby players when I was a teen myself. Concussion was considered 'just a concussion', one of the minor things you got from rugby.

I knew a boy who was almost sent back out to play who turned out to have a cracked cervical vertebra. If it hadn't so happened that a father who was a doctor stepped in, he would probably be paralysed from the neck down now.

Something very fundamental in the attitude of those involved in the sport has to change before things like this stop happening.

An awful story that poor family.

It would seem to depend on the club and school, there certainly doesn't seem to be any uniform policy enforced across the RFU.

At my boys' schools (state and private) concussion's taken very seriously. Both have full-time matrons on duty when contact's being played.

At club level it really does just depend on the age group and how clued up their first aiders are. Our current club takes it seriously, any child who sustains a blow to the head which causes even a momentary loss of consciousness is taken off and not allowed to play. I've been to clubs where that isn't the case.

Yes that variability is alarming as is the still prevalent culture that concussion is something to shrug off.

ds1 is 7 and started playing rugby in september.

I have to say I've been very impressed so far at the awareness and care that the trainers and organisers show wrt head injuries (or any injury for that matter)

If any child complains of a bump to the head the trainer immediately checks their pupils and ensures they're focusing correctly (asking them to track his fingers as he moves his hand up/down, left and right). They are only allowed to resume pay once the trainer is satisfied there's no concern.

At the blitzes and matches there is st. john/red cross presence every time and they take the utmost precaution with any head/neck injury and the player is treated and removed from play.

The kids are taught how to tackle safely and ensure they do not cause any preventable injury to another child. Just the other night I saw a boy of 8/9 years of age removed from training by his trainer for putting his hands on another boy's throat.... no excuses, no second chance, just a bollocking and immediate removal from the pitch.

My utmost sympathy goes out to Benjamin's family. Such a sad and utterly preventable tragedy

That has made me cry. I have two friend with boys who are very sporty and at least one plays and my son also plays. I will be talking to him about it tomorrow.

Is there a way to find out how clued up schools are as I know I will panic myself.

DH was an assistant coach with DS2's team for about 5 or 6 years; he stopped at the end of last season when DS2 (12) no longer wanted to play
I just asked him what theprotocol was with concussion; his answer: 'I don't know, I wasn't the first aider.' .

DS2 has become disillusioned with the game he loved and doesn't want to play at the moment; we were quite relieved as he's slightly-built and skinny and often comes up against lads built like brick shithouses twice his size complete with moustaches to boot.

This has given me more reason to be glad he's stopped. In fact, he did have a blow to the head during school training this term and wasn't taken off the field. He said he didn't pass out but went to sick bay after and Still had a headache the next day so we went to doc's. Gp said the school was very inconsistent; he'd seen the air ambulance out for no good reason but sometimes things were let go.

DS1 is 18 and at university, playing rugby union. Will definitely be speaking to him about this over the holidays. What a hideous story; thankyou op for highlighting it.

Both my DSs (8 and 9) play and my DH is a professional coach. I've forwarded this article to him and he will make sure every coach he knows reads it. Those poor, poor parents

That is just awful.

It seems so obvious that he shouldn't have carried on.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE EVERY PARENT OF A RUGBY PLAYING CHILD READ AND DO THE ONLINE CONCUSSION TRAINING VIDEO LINKED BELOW.

Rugby Board Concussion Guidelines

I do first aid at rugby games and most of the time people are now very vigilant and sensible but we often have kids sent over to us at the end of games who 'still' have a headache or blurred vision after an accident at the beginning of the first half.

When we tell them they can't play on we often get an 'oh miss...' type response but that's tough. They've only got one brain and they're going to be needing it in the future; missing a few minutes rugby isn't going to kill them but playing on just might.

My 11 year old started playing rugby at school in September. He has been in crutches for 3 weeks now after an injury. There was another occasion in October when he had to have an X-ray for a rugby injury. My DS is tall and skinny and just gets thrown around on the pitch.

Such a sad story.