WORLD RUGBY HAS announced the launch of a new panel of ‘Independent Concussion Consultants,’ who will help to assess when professional players should return to action after head injuries.

The Independent Concussion Consultants [ICC] will provide expert opinion in determining when a player should return to action after successfully completing the current six-stage ‘graduated return-to-play protocols’ following a concussion.

It will now be mandatory for teams to get an ICC review if a player suffers a confirmed concussion and their return-to-play is expected within or on the 10th day after the injury.

An ICC review will also be mandatory when players who are deemed to be “higher risk” are due to return to play following a concussion, regardless of the period of recovery after the injury.

A player is deemed “higher risk” if:

• They have been concussed within the last three months
• They have had two or more concussions in the last 12 months
• They have had five or more concussions since starting to play rugby

The new ICC panel will start operating across the international level of the game this month.

For domestic competitions, unions can also avail of the ICC panel or appoint their own.

The launch of the ICC panel comes on the same day World Rugby announces its new six-point plan to advance player welfare in rugby.

The plan comes in the wake of last year’s revelation that several former professional rugby players have been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy [CTE]. A group of former players launched a lawsuit against World Rugby and the unions for negligence.

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World Rugby’s six-point plan is as follows:

“1. A focus on former players: advancing best practice in care, information and support for former players struggling or concerned about their health.

2. Innovation led by science and research: World Rugby will continue to bring together a variety of scientific perspectives on concussion in sport to make sure we’re learning from each development in the science and focusing investment into concussion and head impact in rugby studies in particular.

This means further investment in research and technology to improve player safety and optimise Head Injury Assessments and the application of the Graduated Return to Play protocols.

3. Continue to review and evolve the laws of the game to safeguard players: the two initiatives announced today – global law trials and the introduction of Independent Concussion Consultants – are the first of a series of actions planned in this area. This includes a dedicated focus on a more flexible approach at community level as well as a global forum on the game later this year, and acting on the outcomes of the ground-breaking study by the University of Otago in New Zealand to make any required adjustments at the community and under-age levels.

The following working groups will continue to monitor their respective specialist areas: Head Contact Process, Breakdown, TMO, Scrum and Community law.

4. A dedicated focus on the women’s game: recognising both the growth potential and unique nature of women’s rugby. Measures will include dedicated research investment across community and elite women’s rugby and women’s game specific law reviews.

5. Continued investment in education: we will strengthen the provision of information, tools and resources to everyone involved in the game when it comes to head impacts and player welfare. This will include a new Recognise and Remove head injury education programme and App, a best-practice safe tackle technique programme for the whole game, and rollout of the Activate injury prevention warm-up programme with proven concussion and injury prevention benefits across all unions and regions.

6. Open engagement with the rugby family: we will consult widely and deeply across the community and professional game, for men’s and women’s rugby. Where this means embracing non-traditional channels and platforms to reach rugby fans and players, we will do so.”