Rugby being played in schools is a form of child abuse and the game should be banned among under-18s, a study has claimed.
Academics claim that sports organisations are effectively “grooming” children to avoid the impact of brain injuries associated with playing rugby.
Schools that have the sport on their curriculum have not sought consent from children who could suffer injuries later in life, according to the study by researchers at the universities of Winchester, Nottingham Trent and Bournemouth.
The study, first reported in The Times, cites emerging evidence that even a “knock to the head” can contribute to brain damage that can cause dementia or Parkinson’s.
More than 200 retired rugby players recently brought a legal claim against three of the sport’s governing bodies alleging they suffered brain injuries during their careers.
Lawyers for the group of players have previously alleged the governing bodies failed to take reasonable steps to protect players from injury caused by repetitive blows and that many now have permanent neurological injuries including early onset dementia, Parkinson’s disease and the neurodegenerative condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Eric Anderson, a professor of sport at the University of Winchester who led the study, told The Times: “Sports for children should not intentionally harm their brains. They should focus on fun, health and social development rather than conditioning them to play elite-level sport.
“These collisions cause cognitive harm and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and dementia; they are therefore abusive to a child’s brain.”
He added: “Cultural perception is that striking a child outside of sport is abuse, but striking a child in sport is somehow socially acceptable. We are trying to change that. It doesn’t matter what the social context is, the brain is damaged in both.”
The study draws the distinction between sports that include physical impact by design, such as rugby, and other sports where collisions occur by accident, such as basketball.
Dr Keith Parry, Head of the Department for Sport and Event Management at Bournemouth University, said: “Tackle versions of rugby or American football might be fun, but there are no proven physical or mental health benefits in taking blows to the head, compared to safer, non-contact versions.
“The FA were concerned enough by the dangers of head injury to introduce guidelines to restrict the amount of heading in junior football training. Other, even more injurious sports, should follow and remove intentional collision.”
A spokesperson for the Rugby Football Union said that rugby was not compulsory in schools and that the organisation worked closely to support coaches with guidance around players’ welfare.
“Rugby for young people at schools or clubs in England exists in different forms — contact, reduced contact and non-contact. Rugby has established and been at the forefront of concussion and injury surveillance, education and law changes using evidence to proactively manage player welfare," they said.
“Playing rugby provides significant physical and mental health benefits along with life skills gained from playing a team sport which has strong values. Against a backdrop of decreased physical activity and a global obesity epidemic in children, we believe rugby has a role to play in keeping people active, healthy and engaged.”
