People are in "selective denial" over injuries in schools rugby, a senior medic told The Pat Kenny Show today.
Michael Carter, a paediatric neurosurgeon at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, wrote in the British Medical Journal recently that “rugby sidesteps many safeguards intended to ensure pupil well-being” and that schools, coaches, and even parents were contributing to a “tribal, gladiatorial culture that encourages excessive aggression” that led to the under-reporting of injuries.
The issue has come under the spotlight in Ireland due to the death of Antrim schoolboy Ben Robinson while playing a match for Carrickfergus Grammar School four years ago, and Carter outlined his concerns to Pat on Newstalk this morning.
Meanwhile, Dr Barry O’Driscoll, former IRB medical advisor and uncle of ex-Ireland and Leinster star Brian, had a fascinating conversation on the topic with Shane Coleman on The Right Hook yesterday.
