UK Government and Love of the Game announce new concussion guidelines

Rugby legend Simon Shaw, heads up the campaign to avert the dangers of concussion in sport. See his interview in The Times.

Simon’s charity Love of the Game (LOTG) works with Government, Medics and researchers to find ways to prevent immediate and long term damage from concussion.

“Pirates at the head of player welfare”

The words of Sunday Times journalist David Walsh in an article last year about Pirates.

I am proud to be a founding supporter of Love of the Game, funding technology trials of a mobile brain scanner at Cornish Pirates.

Today marks a landmark decision by the UK Government to launch national guidelines across all sports at grassroots level. We already have strict protocols for elite sports men and women. These guidelines ensure ALL players, from kids to vets, are adequately protected, in as much as we can protect them with current knowledge and technology

Averting Long Term Pain

These guidelines deal with immediate risks, but lets hope also long term impacts of repeated concussions.

I have a very long view on this. I am determined to protect players and families from the incredible pain of degenerative brain diseases.

No-one wants to live with Parkinsons, Motor Neurone Disease or Alzheimers. We all need to deal with concussion now to help save people from these awful diseases later in life.

Direct causation is yet to be established but the stats about former professional football players who headed heavy wet leather balls and now getting dementia, and the number of former pro rugby players getting dementia and MND makes me sure the link is there. The precautionary principle alone says take concussion very seriously.

Anyone who wants to know more or support what we’re doing in Cornwall, or nationally with Love of the Game, get hold of me.