University rugby welfare can thrive by teams creating culture of care
This article is by Progressive Rugby
A rugby-loving student who nearly quit university due to anxiety caused by concussion says he now won’t hesitate to players off for their own protection.
“When you’re our age you feel invincible, and sadly it can take something like this to realise that you’re not,” said UAE U19 international flanker Milo Bly, 22.
“We also have to acknowledge that at university we often don’t have the medical support required at the game, so we need to create that culture of care ourselves.
“That means, irrespective of how big we think a game is, looking after each other even down to simple things like considering whether your teammate should be driving and going on the beers after the game.
“We had a nasty concussion in our last game and I’m proud to say after being diagnosed he took the decision to come off the beer while he recovers.”
Milo, who has suffered three diagnosed and seven suspected concussions, is currently taking a degree in management and innovation at the University of Bristol.
His brain health issues started last season when he returned to the field after taking a blow to the head and was then involved in a head-on-head collision in a tackle.
“I’ve got zero memory of it, but apparently I was demanding I go back on the field,” said Milo, who captains the university’s DUHB team.
“Weirdly I do remember the second collision, lying on the floor and staring up but it didn’t feel real. The next thing I knew I was in a car going to hospital.”
Milo, who hails from Dublin, says the following week, which included a much-anticipated trip to London for an event with friends, is a blur.
“It was weird. I wasn’t drinking but I couldn’t keep up with what was going on and they couldn’t understand anything I tried to say. It was frustrating and confusing.”
In fact, it was more than weird. As well as suffering with headaches for four weeks, it was the start of an increasing anxiety that almost saw him leave higher education.
“I hadn’t experienced it before and it definitely damaged my relationships with my girlfriend at the time and my friends,” Milo remembers.
“I started to feel very isolated, and it took a very good friend to convince me that I should come back the next year and I’m glad that they did.”
Milo had actually fallen in love with the sport in Abu Dhabi where his father had been given a job.
“I was the fat, ginger-haired kid with a funny accent which nobody really knew what to do with,” he remembers.
“But with rugby I loved it from the off. As long as you showed heart and effort it loved you back and I made a lot of brothers who I’m still in contact with today.”
Milo’s aptitude for rugby was quickly apparent, and like so many he enjoyed the physical element of the game, tackling especially.
He quickly progressed, enjoying 7s to, and while still 17 earned two U19 caps for UAE against Malaysia.
“Japan absolutely thrashed us but it was a great experience to be part of it,” he said.
“There’s no question in my mind that rugby offers incredible opportunities and I’d still recommend it to anyone. But it’s about being aware of the importance of our brain health and looking after each other.
“I’m in the fortunate position of being captain and I won’t hesitate to tell a player to go off if I suspect they have been concussed. It’s just not worth it.”
“We also have to acknowledge that at university we often don’t have the medical support required at the game, so we need to create that culture of care ourselves.”