How I failed rugby’s head injury test

By Liam Napier

Have you ever wondered why some rugby players return to the field from a head knock, and some do not?

Regular followers are now well aware of rugby’s head injury assessment (HIA) process, first introduced in 2012.

While the notion of testing head knock incidents has long been prevalent, the specifics of the HIA assessment remain largely unknown beyond the changing room walls.

Does it involve numbers, words, hopping on the spot while touching your nose?

The Herald took — and failed — the widely used test in the Eden Park medical room to pull back the curtain on the highly detailed, interconnected system designed to prioritise player welfare. And to save you the embarrassment.

Every professional player — from provincial to Super Rugby and the test scene — are closely watched in game by independent match day doctors who screen contact and collisions for suspected head injuries through the television director’s pitch side feed.

When a head knock is identified, these days with assistance from instrumented mouthguard alerts, the referee informs the affected player and they must leave the field to undergo the HIA test.

As soon as they depart, the 12-minute window to complete the test — 17 minutes if it is blood related — begins.

At the elite level, some countries, such as France, insist their team doctor is present in the medical room for testing. Usually, though, the independent match day doctors perform the assessment with the player alone.

The neurological test is designed to challenge everything from balance to cognitive functions and memory. It is conducted through a specialised concussion management (SCRM) application, which standardises and logs assessments in World Rugby-approved competitions.

On this occasion, Rob Everitt, the most experienced match-day doctor, having overseen more than 300 professional games, performs my test.

“Most people doing their first one don’t pass it,” Everitt says, as if he’s viewed my high school grades.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission