World Rugby symposium aims to accelerate solid injury prevention progress The important forum will bring together game administrators, competition owners, coaches, referees, players, media and medical staff DUBLIN, Ireland, February 27, 2020/APO Group/ -- World Rugby (www.World.Rugby) Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont believes rugby is embracing its collective responsibility to implement and adhere to evidence-based injury-prevention strategies ahead of the second annual player welfare and laws symposium in Paris on 3-5 March. The important forum will bring together game administrators, competition owners, coaches, referees, players, media and medical staff to consider the latest global injury data and trends, examine strategies to reduce injuries at the breakdown, and consider initial feedback from the package of six injury-prevention law trials.
 
The forum will also feature a dedicated breakdown working group meeting to consider playing and injury trends and potential law trials for an area of the game that is accountable for approximately nine per cent of match injuries, but with an higher than average severity in the elite game. Data-driven approach paying dividends

Data from 2018 presented at the 2019 meeting confirmed that rugby’s injury-prevention focus is having a positive impact illustrated by the following global highlights: A sport unified in injury-prevention focus Beaumont said: “The sport is unified in its commitment to ensure that rugby is as safe, simple and enjoyable to play for all. As a sport, I believe that we are leaders and strong progress has been made in recent years to reduce injury rates, specifically in concussion, via an evidence-based approach.
 
“The inaugural player welfare and laws symposium was certainly the catalyst for a breakthrough injury-prevention year in 2019, culminating in a 28 per cent reduction in concussion incidence at Rugby World Cup 2019 compared to the average from 22 elite competitions in 2018.
 
“We also launched the Activate injury-prevention exercise programme, launched a package of injury-prevention focused law trials, while our High Tackle Sanction Framework is proving pivotal in changing player behaviour from high-risk upright tackles to reduced risk lower height tackles, which is encouraging.” FIRST 'SHAPING THE GAME' SYMPOSIUM IN MARCOUSSIS, FRANCE (2019) >>> (http://bit.ly/2Vrdx8m)
 
Initiatives launched in 2019 as a result of the forum include:
Beaumont added: “Reducing injury risk in all sports including rugby union requires a detailed understanding of the factors that underpin injury occurrence, a clear and agreed vision of what level of risk is acceptable and a sustained, co-ordinated and innovative approach from game administrators and competition owners, coaches, referees, players and medical staff.
 
“The 2020 symposium will again bring together all of the game’s key stakeholders to consider progress and examine evidence-based strategies to further reduce the risk of injury for all in the sport. I look forward to informed and open discussion with players at the heart of our thinking.” Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Rugby.Media Contact: Dominic Rumbles Head of Communications World Rugby T: +353-86-8520-826 E: dominic.rumbles@worldrugby.org About World Rugby: World Rugby (www.World.Rugby) is committed to the global advancement of rugby and its character-building values to build a better, stronger game for all. The global rugby community comprises 9.6 million players and 338 million fans affiliated via 124 national member unions in six regions and driven by the commercial success of Rugby World Cup, World Rugby is planning to invest GBP £620 million at all levels of the game between 2020 and 2023, eclipsing the previous four-year cycle by 28 per cent, to ensure strong and sustainable growth. www.World.Rugby.