Open letter to World Rugby re handling of Davit Niniashvili in European Challenge Cup final
This open letter is written by Progressive Rugby
To whom it may concern at World Rugby,
The sight of Davit Niniashvili being allowed to stumble back onto the field of play during the European Challenge Cup final in Marseille on Friday, 27th May, was distressing.
The Lyon winger had quite clearly suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) following a brutally robust clear out by Eben Etzebeth at the breakdown.
The medical staff had significant time to assess the player but allowed him to return, despite his disorientated state being so patently obvious that the commentary team for BT Sport all repeatedly registered their concern for the player.
This unacceptable public failure of the management of TBI (concussion) in Rugby Union comes just three months after the WRU medics failed to remove Tomas Francis from the field following a clear TBI against England on 26th February.
We say that both Niniashvili and Francis, who unforgivably was allowed to return after an HIA that should never have taken place (as a Six Nations enquiry into the matter concluded), had their welfare placed at significant and needless risk.
Lessons must be learnt, and it has become obvious that a clear line of accountability and responsibility is required if player welfare is not to be compromised.
Progressive Rugby have welcomed the aims of World Rugby in ensuring a focus on player welfare, but the ongoing spectacle of players incurring traumatic brain injury with such obvious failure of medical management represents an existential threat to the game.
If World Rugby want its members to prioritise player welfare it must cease being content to devolve responsibility for it to the unions and organisations beneath it.
Instead, World Rugby must assume ultimate responsibility for making sure players are cared for, and then bare its teeth by applying punishments for failure to do so.
Acceptance of such control should be written into the memorandum of understanding between World Rugby and competition organisers before World Rugby will allow these games to be officially recognised.
If players are permitted to continue playing despite glaring evidence of traumatic brain injury, it demonstrates that there is a clear failure of the practice of the on-field and off-field assessment and suggests a prioritisation of the game over the player’s wellbeing.
It’s past the time for niceties, this is too important. It’s time for World Rugby to demonstrate strong and clear leadership for the good of the players and the future of this great game.
Yours sincerely
Prof John Fairclough and Prof Bill Ribbans
Progressive Rugby
“World Rugby must assume ultimate responsibility for making sure players are cared for, and then bare its teeth by applying punishments for failure to do so.”