Injuries are a part of sport, however serious injury remains rare and the outcome of many injuries can often be improved by awareness and/or simple first-aid skills.
Recognise the symptoms and understand the risks
We encourage all parents and players to complete this World Rugby short-course on concussion:- https://passport.world.rugby/player-welfare-medical/concussion-management-for-the-general-public/
Club Protocol on suspected concussion: as soon as a Team Medic reports a player as having a suspected concussion we monitor the assessment and treatment process. We operate a rigid policy of ‘No Clearance – No Play’ when it comes to suspected concussions and will place a player on the club concussion register, until cleared to play. We will only accept clearance from the dedicated Sports Concussion experts; It is important to remember that Concussion can not be diagnosed by CT Scan, MRI or X Ray and as such normal Emergency Rooms can not diagnose concussion.
In Dubai we are fortunate enough to have our sponsors Mediclinic, who employ our Chief Medical Officer – Dr Alan Kourie, and two dedicated Concussion Management Teams available to us: ‘Up and Running’ and ‘Valiant’ clinics. We work very closely with them throughout the treatment of any concussion related injuries, to ensure players are fit to return to play as soon as it is safe to do so. Through these healthcare providers we also liaise closely with school nurses who also have an active part to play in recovery.
Our club medical handbook (Hurricanes_Medics_Handbook) contains a section on concussion, and is based on the World Rugby Concussion Management protocols. It is intended to provide First Aiders, Team Managers and Coaches with details of the club’s procedures relating to the identification of and ongoing management thereafter of Concussion, it can also serve as a very informative guide for players and parents alike.
If you have any further questions relating to concussion please do not hesitate to contact any member of the Club Medical Team, or Cecile De Scally on +971 (0)50 694 7938