Rassie Erasmus Speaks Out About Concussion In Rugby In Brilliantly Honest Interview

There has been a lot of talk in recent weeks about concussion in rugby.

A number of incidents have occurred leading to investigations and questions over player’s welfare. George North’s injury against Leicester sparked an outrage, with many pundits, fans and even medical professionals slamming Northampton’s handling of the situation.

While North’s situation is a difficult one, with pretty damning evidence, at the end of the day it is not our place to question medical professionals who are entrusted by the players to look after their welfare. It’s easy to diagnose someone form your sitting room couch, but it doesn’t mean you have the slightest clue.

To undermine these professionals, who have been trusted by their peers and most importantly- the players, is wrong and downright insulting. To even suggest that independent medical professionals should be brought in to assess players is ludicrous.

Conor Murray is the latest player to come under the microscope. His boss Rassie Erasmus was quizzed on the entire situation in The Irish Examiner today, and he’s the first man to come out and start speaking some sense.

“I am so satisfied with all the things we put in place over and above the normal protocol and regulations. Medical doctors, they have got an oath and they look after player welfare.

“You will lose a player’s commitment towards the club, and the coaches and the medical team if you put them back on the park or risk them and you will suffer later in your coaching career if players don’t trust you.

Our doctors and our medical staff will never ever jeopardise a player’s welfare so I don’t think it [an assessor] is needed.”

Erasmus also made it clear that in no way does anyone have a right to give their diagnosis when they are nowhere near the situation at hand.

“Even myself, as a coach, it’s a very dangerous thing to sit there and make a judgement like a medical doctor on medical conditions. It’s almost like googling an illness on the internet and making a diagnosis.

“It’s me sitting there and I totally trust the medical team. If a guy gets injured I will wait for the info from them and while I’m sitting there and while I played the game and have seen injuries a lot of times, I am not qualified to make calls like that.

“It might be very irresponsible to make assumptions watching the game when you weren’t part of the action on the ground. I think it’s a big responsibility and that we all adhere to that.”

He’s absolutely dead right in our humble opinion. The first man to speak a bit of sense.