NewsBite

SANZAAR boss says player welfare paramount as investigation in to France’s HIA subs is launched

SUPER Rugby clubs will be reminded there “are no grey lines” involved in protecting ​player ​welfare after an investigation was launched into ​dodgy concussion ​subs ​by France in the Six Nations.

Iain Payten
2 min read
February 6, 2018 - 5:18PM
Antoine Dupont is carried off with a knee injury.
Antoine Dupont is carried off with a knee injury.

SANZAAR boss Andy Marinos says Super Rugby clubs will be reminded there “are no grey lines” around protecting ​player ​welfare after an investigation was launched into ​questionable concussion ​subs ​by France in their Six Nations opener.

Ireland’s dramatic 15-13 win via an 84th minute drop goal on Sunday was overshadowed by suggestions the French had manipulated the Head Injury Assessment protocol.

Six Nations Rugby Limited announced this week they are reviewing “a number of incidents”, presumably the replacements of two French backs, Matthieu Jalibert and Antoine Dupont.

Both ​clearly ​suffer​ed​ knee injuries but ​the pair ​were ​​also sent for HIAs​, which was challenged at the time by referee Nigel Owens.

Matthieu Jalibert receives medical treatment on his knee.
Matthieu Jalibert receives medical treatment on his knee.

​

France coach Jacques Brunel later said the HIAs were ordered by the independent doctor at the Stade de France in Paris.

Dupont​ being sent​ for a HIA was contentious given it allowed France’s starting No.9 Maxime Machenaud on back the field, instead of a winger. ​I​t also made Machenaud — the team’s top goal-kicker — available to kick, but he didn’t ​end up ​taking​​ back the duties.

Former Ireland and Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll was one of a number of people upset with the HIA replacements.

“Just because we won with an INCREDIBLE 42 METER drop goal that HIA decision shouldn’t get swept under the carpet. It was nothing short of a disgrace!!!” O’Driscoll said on Twitter.

The review comes after several ​dodgy-looking ​HIA replacements were questioned in last year’s Six Nations.

The Six Nations authority said an independent HIA “review processor” was looking into the incidents and would decide if sanctions were required.

The case is being keenly watched by the rest of the rugby world, and likely a range of other sports, too.

Like rugby, most contact sports have bolstered significantly their focus on protecting player welfare and safety​ — particularly around head injuries. They’ve

backed them up with significant penalties and the NRL last year slapped three teams with $50,000 fines each last year​ for failure to observe concussion protocols.

The integrity of medical professionals is supposed to be the safeguard against cynical manipulation of HIA protocols, but if evidence of abuses ever emerge like the “Bloodgate” episode, extremely heavy sanctions would no doubt be dispensed.

Marinos said SANZAAR took the safety of players in Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship “extremely seriously”.

“Player safety and player welfare is of primary concern and no result or no game is bigger than that,” Marinos told the Daily Telegraph.

“If they’re not looked after and protected, we are not going to have assets to play with going forward so you can’t have any grey lines.

Antoine Dupont is carried off with a knee injury.
Antoine Dupont is carried off with a knee injury.

“That’s SANZAAR’s position and that will certainly be the position that will go around to all the coaches and teams and players alike.

“Our position is as it has been with all the new protocols raised by World Rugby, particularly when it aligns to player welfare and player safety, we take that extremely seriously.

“We do all that we can to ensure that at the end of the day player safety is our primary concern.”

While not wanting to comment on the review into the Paris incident​s​, Marinos said SANZAAR’s attitude protecting player safety was seen in the investigation into a missed Sonny Bill Williams concussion in the first Bledisloe Cup game in Sydney last year.

So too in the on-field crackdowns on dangerous midair contests and headhigh tackles in recent seasons.

“There is only way you take it out of the game and that’s dealing with it head-on and being very forceful at inception,” he said.

Originally published as SANZAAR boss says player welfare paramount as investigation in to France’s HIA subs is launched

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

More related stories

Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/rugby/sanzaar-boss-says-player-welfare-paramount-as-investigation-in-to-frances-hia-subs-is-launched/news-story/413ada4da030a6dd26ae2e5a250a8bfe