HIA: Head Injury Assessment
On the weekend I watched the Final of Super Rugby Pacific 2023. The match between the Chiefs and the Crusaders.
Ben O'Keefe, the Referee for the match did a reasonable job. Missed some things, but that's part of the deal. It happens.
However, 10 or so minutes into the match, Chiefs Centre Anton Lienert-Brown tackled Dallas Mcleod from the Crusaders.
Lienert-Brown rushed Mcleod in a poor tackle that resulted in a head clash. After a Video review Anton Lienert-Brown was Yellow Carded and advised that the tackle would be reviewed by the Video Referee to see if it warranted upgrading to a Red Card.
Here is my problem:
Everyone who watched this match - either live in the Stadium or on TV saw a head clash. Yet no one suggested that Mcleod or Lienert-Brown should go for an HIA. In fact, with the NZ commentary team saying that McLeod didn't look well, it was some 4-7 minutes before McLeod was finally taken from the field for an HIA. And failed it. Lienert-Brown - sat on the side of the field for 10 minutes. And then returned to play - with no assessment.
This is not an isolated incident. It happens all the time.
WHY?
After the match the citing commission Cited Leinert-Brown and he will face the judiciary in the next couple of days.
Concussions are a serious thing and it's great that Rugby and other sports are finally protecting players from themselves and (sometimes) their Coaches. "He will be alright" is not acceptable anymore.
But it seems like it has become common practice for any tackle that is reviewed by the Video Referee that the HIA protocols are forgotten about.
Ben O'Keefe, the Referee for the match did a reasonable job. Missed some things, but that's part of the deal. It happens.
However, 10 or so minutes into the match, Chiefs Centre Anton Lienert-Brown tackled Dallas Mcleod from the Crusaders.
Lienert-Brown rushed Mcleod in a poor tackle that resulted in a head clash. After a Video review Anton Lienert-Brown was Yellow Carded and advised that the tackle would be reviewed by the Video Referee to see if it warranted upgrading to a Red Card.
Here is my problem:
Everyone who watched this match - either live in the Stadium or on TV saw a head clash. Yet no one suggested that Mcleod or Lienert-Brown should go for an HIA. In fact, with the NZ commentary team saying that McLeod didn't look well, it was some 4-7 minutes before McLeod was finally taken from the field for an HIA. And failed it. Lienert-Brown - sat on the side of the field for 10 minutes. And then returned to play - with no assessment.
This is not an isolated incident. It happens all the time.
WHY?
After the match the citing commission Cited Leinert-Brown and he will face the judiciary in the next couple of days.
Concussions are a serious thing and it's great that Rugby and other sports are finally protecting players from themselves and (sometimes) their Coaches. "He will be alright" is not acceptable anymore.
But it seems like it has become common practice for any tackle that is reviewed by the Video Referee that the HIA protocols are forgotten about.