A father whose son died 10 years ago as a result of a brain injury he suffered during a schools rugby match says there's more work to be done to raise awareness of the dangers of such injuries.
14-year-old Ben Robinson from Co Antrim suffered the repeated blows to the head he suffered during the match in January 2011.
An inquest found that Ben's death was the first in Northern Ireland due to second impact syndrome.
His family have spent the years since raising awareness of the risk of concussion and brain injuries in the game.
Ben's father Peter Robinson spoke to The Hard Shoulder today.
He said: “Going back to the 29th January 2011, Ben was playing in a schools rugby match. He sustained an injury in the first half - he had taken a blow to the mouth, with a boot that actually split his gum shield.
“In the second half, he had gone down again. The match was stopped, and he was assessed three to four times… each time he was allowed continue on. Unfortunately, he collapsed at the end of the match and succumbed to his injuries."
Mr Robinson said the 'grief remains the same' after all these years, and 'you just learn to deal with it better'.
He described his son as a 'livewire', recalling: "He wanted to be a stuntman at one stage - he just got up to mischief.
"We used three words - awesome, loving and vibrant. That really sums him up: he was a great kid, and he would have gone on to do great things."
At first, the family thought Ben's injury may have been a 'one-off', but it was in the inquest they learned of the phrase 'second impact syndrome'.
Mr Robinson recalled: "We realised if he’d been taken off after the first injury, there wouldn’t have been a second, third or fourth injury. We realised then his death was preventable.”
He said the family learned there was a 'knowledge gap' among players and coaches alike about the dangers.
'Call it what it is'
A decade on from his son's death, Mr Robinson believes there is greater public awareness of the issues.
He believes there'll always be concussion, so what's important is to manage the risk properly.
He said: “We’re now starting to hear rugby pundits call it what it is.
"We use the term concussion, which just comes off the tongue very easily… but it’s a traumatic brain injury. When you use that term, I think people sit up and listen.
“Definitely the awareness is greater - there’s more of a public response when they see something happen.
"When you hear elite and professional players talking about their experiences, I think that goes a long way - kids hang on every word they say."
Mr Robinson said it's vital that players are forced to stop playing if they suffer a blow to the head, and that the option to continue 'has to be removed from their hands'.
He believes there's more work to be done, including around mandatory concussion protocols and lessons - particularly in the schools and amateur game.
He suggested: "You’ve 14 teammates on a pitch: if they’re all educated, then you’re increasing the [chance] of someone saying something."
Mr Robinson himself still watches rugby, but it's something he now 'watches differently' knowing the risks and dangers involved.
