{"id":2739,"date":"2022-02-21T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T08:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=2739"},"modified":"2022-02-21T07:34:04","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T07:34:04","slug":"concussions-in-womens-rugby-a-cause-for-concern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=2739","title":{"rendered":"Concussions in women\u2019s rugby: A cause for concern?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Authored by the \u2018Team Unity\u2019: Keaton Ager, Leah Bass, Laura Beet, Ethan Greenway, Meghan Hobbs, Daniel Hutchins and Chris Seymour-Henwood [E119 21J students].<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This blog was written as part of a collaborative teamwork task by students studying E119. They had to select a topic and then decide on what roles each person would perform in the team, such as researcher, writer, editor, and leader. This blog was chosen as one of the best blogs from around 70 blogs that were produced.<\/em><\/p>\n

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In 2018, the Telegraph (Ellis, 2018) documented that women\u2019s rugby is soaring in popularity. Almost 30,000 women and girls play rugby at club level, double the amount seen 4 years prior, with women now making up a quarter of players globally.<\/p>\n

Increasing popularity brings in revenue, allowing governing bodies to provide additional funding into various aspects of the game, including research. With the higher revenue, research into the men\u2019s game could be considered \u2018the norm\u2019, but more researchers are now looking into the women\u2019s game and its positives and negatives \u2013 with concussions being one of the negatives.<\/p>\n

What is a concussion and what is the research saying?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Physical differences between men and women seem to have an impact on the likelihood of concussions occurring. It is well documented that males are generally physically stronger than females. This point is echoed by Rugbypass\u2019 Jess Hayden (2020), who states that although lower body strength between men and women is quite comparable, male rugby player\u2019s upper body strength can typically be observed as three or four times greater than female players. This includes neck strength, which is a defining factor in concussions.<\/p>\n

Dr Elisabeth Williams at Swansea University is a lead researcher into concussion in men\u2019s and women\u2019s rugby. Dr Williams (cited in Hayden, 2020) has found that a \u2018whiplash\u2019 motion is a leading cause of concussion in women\u2019s rugby. So, what is a concussion? According to the Concussion Foundation (n.d.)\u2026<\/p>\n

A concussion is a brain injury occurring when the brain moves rapidly within the skull usually due to a blow to the head or body.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Research suggests (Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association\u2122 & PINK Concussions, n.d.) that concussions affect women and men differently, with women not only being at a higher risk of sport-related concussions, but also increased severity of symptoms as a result of concussion.<\/p>\n

Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association\u2122 & PINK Concussions (n.d.) report that women often experience more severe and prolonged symptoms relating to:<\/p>\n