There are a few really good reasons that rugby players wear headgear, even though it has been proven not to decrease the incidence of concussions.
Some rugby players wear helmets because they are aware of the threat to their heads that the sport presents. Others abstain from wearing helmets because they do not believe the danger is substantial. The choice to wear a helmet is voluntary, although some pressure to make it mandatory already exists.
Rugby players are more likely to get concussions than football players, and rugby might have to consider allowing players to wear more significant head protection while playing. Our recent study found some rugby players appear to wear protective headgear to provide confidence and not to be concerned about getting injured.
One concern Dr. Mike Loosemore has grown is that rugby players can become lured into a false sense of safety by wearing headgear, and they can be made more vulnerable to injuries to their heads because they believe that they are protected.
Rugby Is Known to Be Dangerous
Many believe that rugby is more dangerous due to the rugby absence of pads, whilst others believe the pads worn by football players provide a false sense of security that allows them to be reckless with their bodies. Rugby is frequently compared with American football, with people wondering why there are no helmets used in rugby. Rugby players are taught to never use their heads when making a tackle, and with no helmets protecting them, the rationale is quite obvious.
Rugby forwards is the ones who are more likely to be wearing a rugby helmet, protecting their head and ears in a scrum. A scrum cap is a form of headgear used by rugby players to protect ears during scrums, which may otherwise be injured, leading to the condition popularly known as cauliflower ears.
Rugby players do not wear helmets, rather they use the scrum cap, which does little other than protect the ears against the effects of cauliflower ears — although, once again, a helmet allows for bigger hits and harder bullets, and thus a helmet may cause players greater harm than the cap.
You will see a few defenders wearing scrum caps, and it is usually because they have had concussions in the past. Most rugby players wear mouthguards as well as shoulder pads, although these pads cannot be more than one centimeter thick, and are nearly invisible under the rugby jersey. While far removed from a helmet, Rugby does produce scrammed hats–soft, cushioned hats–although these are mostly used to keep players’ ears tucked in and cramped up in the scrum.
The Need for Helmets in Rugby
Rugby players have currently had the option to wear hard-plastic helmets, which provide minimal impact protection. Rugby players do not wear helmets because a series of rules exist that protect players from being hit on the head. These include not tackling over their shoulders, and not tackling players who are without the ball or who are airborne.
Backs generally wear a helmet to protect their heads and necks when being tackled or when trying to run with the ball. Wearing a helmet allows players to use the head as a weapon, whether blocking, tackling, or running the ball.
Some players may decide to wear no helmet, instead of using their arms or legs to shield the head when making contact with the opponent. Most players opt for wearing no head protection, while some opt for soft foam headgear, which offers minimal protection from concussions. Players are allowed to wear foam-padded headgear known as the scrum cap, however, it offers minimal protection because of the lack of chin guards and the thin, soft padding. Rugby helmets, unlike soccer helmets, are made from padded plastic, offering minimal protection against impacts.
Parents argue that, unlike football, which requires the wearing of leg pads, Rugby has no mandatory measures in place to protect the player’s soft tissues and heads. Fears of concussions and head injuries amongst younger players have led to calls to outlaw tackling at a school level.
Common Pressures to Increase the Padding in Rugby
Like cycling helmets and skiing helmets that are worn by almost everyone these days, parents are campaigning for greater awareness about rugby hazards and the importance of wearing protective head protection for junior rugby players.
Education strategies that focus on potential injury risks in rugby and the benefits of wearing a protective headgear need to be developed for both players and their parents. Rugby security is not about undermining the perceived hardness or quality of rugby, it is about adopting techniques and wearing protective equipment designed to ensure players are protected.
The laws in rugby were designed to limit brain injuries because players cannot wear significant protection on their heads, and therefore governing bodies attempted to intervene by codifying more stringent rules to provide protection.
The Constant Threat to Rugby Players’ Heads
Although several laws try to protect players’ heads, head injuries are a frequent occurrence in rugby, whether from players being fouled or from accidentally colliding heads, with players having the head placed in the wrong position when making contact, ultimately suffering from nasty hits. When players receive a head hit during rugby games, it is most commonly from getting the head in the wrong position in the tackle and taking the knee.
I have seen players who were in tackles knocked down hitting the opponent’s knees with the forehead. This is uncommon as players are taught the correct technique for tackling the very first time they pick up a rugby ball. This is a big point, as studies conducted on South African junior players have shown that bad tackle technique is most likely to lead to head injuries when the tackle is applied. The data would indicate that rugby is a more dangerous game, in that players are more likely to be injured during the game.
Professor Steven Mellalieu said that the suggestion that the scrum-half helmet can protect players from injuries like concussions was incorrect. Professor Stephen Mellalieu from the Cardiff School of Sport has revealed why rugby players prefer to wear a head covering or head coverings when they are out on the pitch. The helmet vs. headgear issue has been thrust into the limelight in recent times, with reports growing of former players developing severe conditions linked to repeated concussions.