Radical action is needed to save the sport I love
This is written by Progressive Rugby
A talented amateur player forced to walk away from the game he loves in his 20s believes radical action is needed to ensure rugby survives the brain injury crisis.
“Major schools who produce internationals are receiving letters from parents saying they don’t want their children playing rugby,” Charlie Winton, who at 28, has had to walk away from playing the game, following around a dozen concussions.
“That’s not a sustainable situation and it’s a huge problem for World Rugby.
“No one is denying it’s a tricky situation to manage, but surely they have to be seen to be taking radical action and push the recovery periods out while the information is gathered.
“That way they can restore public confidence while they identify the very best way to look after players at all levels.
“It’s a great game but they need to get this right. It’s critical for rugby’s future.”
Charlie was just seven when he started playing rugby, and as he got older started to enjoy the physical side of the game but started picking up concussions.
“One game I had a double one that was entirely my fault,” Charlie, who played centre, said.
“I was clearly not right but played on and had another one right at the end of the match.”
After he moved to another club in Glasgow, he suffered a further brain injury, on this occasion the ramifications were far more serious.
He said: “I got knocked out and like an idiot I carried on playing. I then I carried onto drinking into the evening and that’s when I really started getting problems.”
Charlie suffered for months with ‘hangovers without drinking’, acute sensitivity to light and feeling uncharacteristically irritable.
Wisely, Charlie, only 26 at the time, stepped away from playing and moved into a coaching role.
“I loved it but found not being able to play very frustrating. I stayed off the game for two years a couldn’t resist so dropped down a few levels and started playing again,” he said.
“But in just my second game I got a hit on the side of my head. Shortly afterwards, I caught the ball and threw it across the floor and then ran out of the line in defence while their fly-half ran through and scored. I knew I wasn’t right and took myself off the pitch – that really was it for me.”
Now 28, Charlie estimates he suffered 10 blows to the head, two major concussions and one knock out. Thankfully his symptoms have largely gone but he is passionate about making the game safer.
“It’s a great game but World Rugby need to get this right. It’s critical for rugby’s future.”