Sionnach wrote:Mandatory headgear in American Football just led to more and more head clashes and it's not as if they have no problems with concussion.
I don't think it's a 'no brainer' to introduce mandatory headgear at all.
Missing the most important points though
-in NFL they introduced the high protection head gear (which scrum caps simply aren't)
- Tackling in NFL is completely different to rugby - while rugby is huge contact theirs is all contact and collision - the play ends with a successful tackle
- Hits to and by the head were permitted ( I think)
- The NFL used the helmet as a weapon by launching head first tackles on quarterbacks etc
These simply don't apply to rugby
Hurling is a better example - intrudced helmets for everyone at underage level and then spread that to the entire game - those helemets aren't going to prevent concussion (mouth guards I undertand are actually better in that sense) but it does limit injury. Scrum caps don't do anything for concussion but will hjelp with cuts etc (think it was Thornley pointing out with the blood bin and the concussion bin - its a desperate look for the game - constanmt ion and out with injury)
On the enhanced bravery when wearing the scrum caps => the studies form that I think are about 10-15 years old - that education based and no reason not to insist on all underage players wearing scrum caps - and then in time introducing it to the senior game