JAMIE CUDMORE HAS renewed his call for world rugby bosses to implement improved concussion protocols as he shared the story of his own frightening head injuries.
The Canada international alleges that on two occasions while at Clermont Auvergne, he was allowed to return to action when he was clearly unfit to keep playing.
Cudmore was a guest on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight on Wednesday and recalled how he suffered a concussion when he collided with Saracens’ Billy Vunipola during the 2015 Champions Cup semi-final.
“I suffered some pretty bad after effects after two concussions in a very short period of time of the 2015 European Cup semi-final and then two weeks later in the final,” the 38-year-old said.
“I was involved in a head collision in the semi-final in Saint-Etienne. I was taken off the field for blood but our doctor realised that I’d had a concussion.
“I was taken off the pitch for blood and for the HIA (Head Injury Assessment) which happened in the changing room during that game.
“I was deemed unfit to play. I was told to take off my boots and sit down.
A few minutes later the doctor came running back in the changing room and said, ‘Listen, the other second row is no good. Can you come back on?’
“And like any rugby player, we always want to play so I said, ‘Yeah, sweet,’ laced my boot back up and went out and finished the game.”
Jamie Cudmore talks to #RugbyTonight in detail about why his personal experience led him to set up @RugbySafetyNet. https://t.co/QenNwDWmaa
– If video does not play in app, click here
Following a series of tests, Cudmore was cleared to play in the European final against Toulon but was injured two more times in that game, firstly following a run-of-the-mill tackle on Chris Masoe, and then following a head collision.
Despite vomiting in the changing room, he was still allowed to return to finish the game.
“I had some really bad after effects in the week following. I was given complete rest, I was brought into see a neurosurgeon, I did many tests during the 10 days after that, and I was deemed fit to play in the final two weeks later in Twickenham.
“Clearly I wasn’t good enough to play because the first contact I made in the final, about 10 minutes in, I was commotioned again in a tackle with Chris Masoe.
“A normal tackle but right there, just the impact of the shoulder going into Masoe’s side, that was enough to spark me out. I was taken off. I passed the HIA. I was allowed to come back on the field as I had passed the HIA.
Later on in the game, I suffered a head knock with I think Juan Smith later on and I went off for blood. During that time I was off getting stitched up, I became very nauseous and began vomiting in the changing room in front of a few other players that were there on the bench as well. I was still allowed to go back on the field and finish the game.
Cudmore added: ”I think when we talk about protecting players’ health, when things like that are still happening, things like George North being put back on the field, it’s nice to say that we want to protect players but we’ve really got to put some action behind those words.”
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The League of Ireland is in a sorry state. This carry on is is not going away. As a Drogheda United we know more than most what its like when ones club chases the rainbow. How any player in the lower echelons of League of Ireland think its a good idea to be a footballer in Ireland is beyond me. All of these players will be out of contract at the end of the season, claim the dole and then go back to earning peanuts again. Its hardly a long term career plan. The FAI should use the their competition as a measure of how they as an association are performing….well its failing miserably. I’d love to see it get better, even to see it get to a Scottish standard with stadiums, facilities and televison deals would be enough but we are light years away from that.
@Patrick McHugh: so long as we keep ploughing our money into the EPL and the plastic paddy’s up north then we will never have a decent domestic league. Always love coming on here and seeing guys who proclaim to be Irish fans but will then on an EPL thread announce themselves as fans of UTD or Liverpool. The FAI don’t help though that much is true. If ever proof we’re needed then just look at the photos of Delaney or Mo’N in Inchicore poring over plans for the Richmond Bowl and on TV saying how good it will be for the game here. Oh, wait you can’t, Because they don’t exist!
@David Lawlor: Hi David, what do you mean by ‘ploughing money into the EPL and the plastic paddy up north’?
@Sean McFadden: Spending millions on trips to England and Glasgow Celtic. Non Irish teams.
@David Lawlor: Ok I get the EPL connect. The other part a reference to Hoops supporters from the North in particular?
@Sean McFadden: where does it say anything about people from the North? Very clearly talking about Celtic being north of England
fai imposes stoopid faux “licencing” bs scheeme on clubs wastes money on junkets 4 blazers & psuedo corporate fluff stuff (eg. Consultants) organization needs complete restructure & repurpose. Ireland’s soccer set up is unsustainable for long term ignoring grass roots development & proper investment in & development of local LofI &subsidiary league clubs & structures.
All our senior clubs have faced financial crises in recent times. The dundalks corks rovers etc included all hv faced financial catastrophe. FAI top brass response 2 ongoing recurring situations is 2 further distance itself from domestic scene.
Soccer is no.1 sport in ireland in terms of active players and reach, yet unlike other orgs like gaa irfu fai is appalingly run wthout proper strategic leadership or direction
When will the FAI realise that you can’t sustain a two division league system in this country and how many more teams have to go out of business for them to realize this and how do many of them get a licence year on year .Have one league with 14/ 16 teams but we all know its about money from UEFA ????????
@James Kelly: I think there’s some stipulation that you have to have at least 2 leagues to allow teams qualify for European competitions. I think
@Zossima: Nah, Gibraltar (the obvious one I could think of!) only have one division.
Love to see what that chancer Fran Gavin has to say about this.
It’s sad when this happens a club . Players have to be paid at the end of the day ! Some junior players are getting paid and they hold down jobs also , this is a stumbling block also to the clubs , why would a guy bother playing and travelling all around the country to train and play ! FAI have a lot of work to do when they get their heads out of the sand