Concussion an issue that's still being ignored

Rugby's concussion reviews are "not fit for purpose" and the sport is becoming "unplayable", according to a leading concussion expert.

Willie Stewart, of World Rugby's Independent Concussion Advisory Group, says the governing body's attempts to tackle the issues around brain injuries have had little effect.

In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Sport Scotland, Stewart says the number of players suffering concussion at the top level is "unacceptably high".

Back in January, in an attempt to lessen the incidence of concussion, World Rugby introduced heavier sanctions for high tackles. If the head area was hit, referees were mandated to dish out more penalties, more yellow cards and more red cards to the worst offenders.

A recent study of Premiership rugby in England concluded that rates of concussion have gone from 6.7 concussions per 1,000 player hours in 2012-13 to 15.8 concussions per 1,000 player hours in 2015-16 - or one brain injury in every couple of matches.

The number of concussions has risen every year for the past four years. Of all match-day injuries, concussion now accounts for 25% of the total.

For a few weeks after the new sanctions were introduced in January, referees flashed cards of both colours, then the Six Nations arrived and everything went quiet.

An international rugby coach, who does not wish to be named, has said that rugby's "Wild West" has returned. What he meant was that the zero tolerance approach has been watered down.

Stewart is a consultant neuropathologist at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. He is also an associate professor at the University of Glasgow and the University of Pennsylvania and is a member of World Rugby's concussion advisory group. A former amateur rugby player, he has been working in the field of brain injury for more than 15 years.

"For the first few weekends after the new sanctions came in the cards were out of the pockets," said Stewart. "You could see the tackles going lower, but we seem to have drifted back. Cards were being dished out for high tackles, but where is that now?"

World Rugby disagree with Stewart's view. "This opinion is not supported by the data, which confirms that the new tackle law application guideline is being consistently and accurately applied across elite competitions and this was also the opinion of international coaches and referees."