Player Welfare Programme for Intervention

Player Welfare Programme | Intervention

Putting Players First

The Player Welfare programme consists of a series of resources and measures made available to clubs, players, coaches, educators, parents, and the entire Suisserugby Community. The different measures and services constitute a set of recommendations, not rules or obligations.

When it comes to INTERVENTION, we focus on a set of measures to be taken in case an injury does happen, or player welfare is compromised in other ways.

Measures

Priorities

The following priorities have been identified by the Medical Commission to be implemented next:

Emergency Protocol for clubs

It is acknowledged that it is difficult to allocate qualified medical personnel at matches. Therefore, it is essential that an Emergency Medical Protocol be established at clubs should an medical emergency arise

It is recommended that clubs make the necessary arrangements in order to facilitate an urgent request for an ambulance and should take into account the following factors
- Telephone number to call emergency services to request an ambulance which is in the closest vicinity of the ground
- Distance of emergency services from the ground and required response time
- Quickest access (roads/gates) to the ground
It is recommended that all clubs summarize this information on an Emergency Medical Assistance Card which can be distributed to the appropriate members at the club and will provide a reference to all the important information that is required should an ambulance be required in a medical emergency

AED and other emergency equipment

It is important for clubs to identify if there is a functioning AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) in the vicinity of the ground/stadium where the match or training sessions take place and that there are qualified first aiders available who have been trained to use them (Including all those who have taken the FSR / WR Medical Course Level I)

Recommendations state that defibrillation should occur within three minutes of cardiac arrest. So ideally, AEDs need to be close to the playing areas and easily accessible when needed
By commencing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with attempts to restart the heart (with an AED) can improve survival for out of hospital cardiac arrest from 8% to 60% (Resuscitation Council UK statistics).
A list of recommendations will be prepared of other Emergency equipment besides an AED

Identification, treatment, reporting and follow-up of CONCUSSIONS and serious injuries

All those having followed the FSR / WR Medical Course Level I have learned how to identify and provide first treatment for concussions and other serious injuries, and how to follow up on concussions with their players. It was reported that there has been a very poor response from the clubs to report concussion and serious injuries since it was initiated at the beginning of season 2019/2020 (two reports received).

It has been recommended that a simplified FSR Injury Report Form be introduced in season 2020/2021 which would be completed and included in the Match Report.
It is by providing the injury statistics following matches that it will assist the FSR to identify any specific injury trends and provide the opportunity to introduce preventative strategies through player preparation as well as strength and conditioning programmes which may apply to specific positions

Timeline

The different measures are introduced step by step over the course of several seasons, and provide a set of recommendations and resources designed to help any players, coaches, parents, or clubs who might be interested in enhancing and ensuring player safety and welfare.

Consussions & serious injuries

Intervention

Concussion Protocol

The Recognise and Remove Directive from World Rugby means that any player in the non-elite level of rugby who is suspected of displaying symptoms of concussion must be immediately removed from the field of play and take no further part in the match.

Concussion Assessment Tool 5

The Concussion Assessment Tool 5 has been developed by medical experts following Concussion Symposiums organised by World Rugby, FIFA, IIHF, FEI and the IOC. It provides guidelines for non-medics to follow on the touchline to determine whether a player has a suspected concussion.

Concussion Assessment Tool 5

Concussion Guidance Document

The Concussion Guidance Document by World Rugby provides guidance and information to persons involved in the non-elite level of rugby regarding concussions and suspected concussions. It provides further information on concussion management as well as useful information concerning return to play guidelines.

World Rugby Concussion Guidance Document

Reporting

The FSR Concussion and Serious Injury Report Form provides the FSR Medical Commission with an overview of both concussion and serious injuries. Any injury reported on this form is defined as a concussion or serious injury that has occurred to a player during a training session or a match which has resulted in the injured player being taken to hospital.

The Medical Commission requests that this form is completed by a club representative and sent to medical(AT)suisserugby.com. The information reported in this form will be strictly confidential.

Reporting from Consussion & serious injuries (in French)
Reporting from Consussion & serious injuries (in German)

A resource for mental health awareness

Tackle your mind

«Tackle your mind»: A resource for mental health awareness

Suisserugby released a resource for mental health awareness and launched a campaign on it in spring 2021.

Mental health issues are a growing problem in sport as well as society, and are accelerated and exacerbated by the Coronavirus Pandemic. One in five people in the population experience a mental health disorder during their lifetime. Within one year 7% of the population falls ill for the first time on a repeated case of depression. Still, there is a great stigma and taboo surround these issues, which is largely due to lack of knowledge and awareness. This campaign aims to combine awareness and prevention, that could save lives.

There is no sure way to prevent mental illness. However, if you have a mental illness, taking steps to control stress, to increase your resilience, and to boost low self-esteem may help keep your symptoms under control. We invite the entire Suisserugby family to:

Pay attention to the warning signs
Get routine medical care
Get help when you need it
Take good care of yourself and each other

With the experts in its Player Welfare and Medical Commission, Suisserugby has prepared a number of resources, available to the entire rugby family.