Boots and all | Why Hong Kong leads the way in welfare of rugby players
HKRFU medical team have initiated a blue card system allowing referees to send the injured off the field because of concussion
It is good to know that Hong Kong is at the forefront when it comes to the welfare of players involved in nasty injuries on the field of play.
Last week, in the game between Hong Kong Cricket Club and Hong Kong Scottish, we saw not one but two players stretchered off after being felled by strong tackles. First to go was HKCC fullback Rowan Varty, mowed down by a two-man tackle, and then in the second half, opposition winger Dave Whiteford was cut down.
It was unpleasant to witness from the stands. The sight of a player lying motionless always brings back bad memories to me. As a schoolboy, a cousin of mine playing on the wing was tackled and was seriously hurt, coming close to being paralysed – he spent months in hospital with his head held in place by calipers and weights.
We have been leading the way in Asia for player welfare – the Hong Kong Sevens is the biggest example – and this is one more development, which must be welcomed with open arms
I remember big Dr Fred Perera rushing on to the field and ordering everyone not to touch my cousin. He carefully cradled him in his arms and carried him to his car, and was rushed to hospital. It was later learned that if not for Dr Fred, a spectator that day, my cousin could have been paralysed for life as he had fractured a bone in his neck.
Remember this is going back nearly 40 years. In those days, there were no protocols to follow when players were injured on the field. If there was, we never heard of it in Sri Lanka where the cure-all ingredient was a piece of ice.
Luckily last Saturday, both Varty and Whiteford had not suffered any serious injuries other than concussion and perhaps bruised egos. But at that time, it wasn’t known and everyone was worried as both players had lost consciousness briefly. So it was good to see how they were attended to by medics at the ground.
