A concussion is a temporary injury to the brain that cannot be seen on routine x-rays or
scans. It affects the way a person may think and remember things for a short time, and can
cause a variety of symptoms.

What causes a concussion?

Any blow to the head, face or neck, or a blow to the body which causes a sudden jarring of the head may cause a concussion.

What are the symptoms and signs of concussion?

Thinking problems that the child may experience:
 Does not know time, date, place, period of game, opposing team, or the score in the
game
 General confusion
 Cannot remember things that happened before and/or after the injury
 Seems slow to answer questions or follow directions
 Seems easily distracted
 Not playing as well as expected
 A blank stare/glassy eyed, “the lights are on but nobody is at home”

Things that the child may complain of or you see:
 Knocked out
 Headache
 Dizziness
 Feel dazed, “dinged” or stunned;
 Loss of vision, seeing double or blurred, seeing stars or flashing lights
 Ringing in the ears
 Sleepiness
 Stomach ache, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting
 Poor coordination or balance
 Slurred speech
 Poor concentration
 Strange or inappropriate emotions (i.e. laughing, crying, getting angry easily)
 Feeling generally unwell

It is very important that the child does not go back to rugby or any other sport, if they have any concussion symptoms or signs. Return to sport and activity must follow a step-wise Graduated Return to Play (GRTP) which can be downloaded in full from the resources section of rfu.com/concussion

Remember the 4 R’s:

RECOGNISE

REMOVE

RECOVER

RETURN

Please follow the links and use the attached documents

http://www.rfu.com/takingpart/playerhealth/concussion/concussion-in-rugby

http://www.rfu.com/takingpart/playerhealth/concussion

Take the HEADCASE test.

http://www.rfu.com/takingpart/playerhealth/concussion/headcasequiz

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