With the Six Nations Final taking place this weekend, we are delighted to announce that BCOM, in collaboration with Hedkayse Labs, has recently launched a research study titled “Rugby Head Protection: Prevalence of use, Knowledge and Attitudes of Youth-Level Coaches and Parents.”
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the incidence of head trauma in contact sports like rugby, and the possible long-term effects repeated trauma has on the body.
Discussions over law changes by governing bodies, and the need for further research in the area is dominating the rugby landscape. The results of this study hope to provide valuable insights into the attitudes and behaviours of coaches and parents towards head protection in rugby and will be used to inform the development of new products to improve the safety of youth-level rugby players. “We are excited to be collaborating with Hedkayse Labs on this study” said Will Gowers, Lecturer and Research Assistant at BCOM. “It is vital that we understand the attitudes and behaviours of coaches and parents towards head protection in rugby, because they play a big role in making decisions that affect players’ safety. This project is a fantastic opportunity for two of our Master of Osteopathy students to be involved in the data analysis as part of their dissertation”.
The questionnaire-based study is currently being sent to rugby-playing schools across England, with the results planned to be published in a peer-reviewed journal that will be made available to the public.