Mark Reason: Our young are dying from brain injuries and rugby still looks away Sonny Bill Williams goes down injured during the Sydney test against the Wallabies.
PAUL SEISER/PHOTOSPORT
Sonny Bill Williams goes down injured during the Sydney test against the Wallabies.

OPINION: Rowan Stringer was killed playing rugby. She was 17 years old. She died in the Ottawa hospital where she was about to start her training as a nurse. This is the text message Rowan sent the day before she suffered the head injury which ended her
life.

"I might have gotten a concussion … have a headache again," Rowan wrote to her friend Michelle Hebert.

"How was your game?" asked Michelle.

Sam Cane is assisted from the field of play during the second Bledisloe test in Dunedin.
JOE ALLISON/PHOTOSPORT
Sam Cane is assisted from the field of play during the second Bledisloe test in Dunedin.

"Well I smashed it on the ground and then got kicked in the head."

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Ryan Crotty takes a knee during the test against the Wallabies in Dunedin. ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT
Ryan Crotty takes a knee during the test against the Wallabies in Dunedin.

"Doesn't that happen every time?"

"Which is why I probably have a concussion."

"Ya well. You need to stop dying. Are you still going to play on Wednesday?"

"Yeah. Nothing can stop meeee! Unless I'm dead."

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"I'm sure you'll be fine by then.".

"Unless concussion!"

"Are you going to get it checked?"

"Nope. Just see if it gets worse."

"Maybe you should see a doctor."

"Meh, what's some brain damage gonna hurt?"

We now know the tragic answer to that question. Rowan's parents ordered an autopsy because they wanted to know. Because they didn't want others to die the same way. The results confirmed what they feared. Rowan died from second impact symptom. Most of
her organs were young and vibrant. They were donated to save other people's lives. But the damage to Rowan's brain killed her.

Kathleen Stringer, the mother of Rowan, vowed at the inquest that the family's goal was that the same thing should never happen again to another child. But it is happening again. Year after year.

Since Rowan's death in 2013 there have been at least 11 more deaths, almost certainly more, from head impacts playing rugby. Three are women, two are children. The average age of the victims is 21. The youngest was 14. Four of them are New Zealanders.

These are not deaths from playing rugby alone. These are specific deaths from head impacts suffered while playing rugby. In just the previous 12 months there have been four deaths. And rugby means rugby, not union or league. When it comes to people dying
it is long time when the two codes need to start acting in harmony.

It is also time that the top of our national game started setting a way better example than it is currently doing. In the last two test matches played by the All Blacks two of its players have been put at risk from second impact syndrome because they
have not been removed immediately and permanently from the field of play.

Ryan Crotty was playing in the second test against Australia. In the 27th minute Crotty's head was struck by Tevita Kuridrani's leg in a tackle. When Crotty tried to get to his feet he reeled sideways. He staggered like a drunken crab. At this point
World Rugby's protocols demand that Crotty be removed permanently from the game.

Crotty was left to play on for just under a minute. His next act was to give away a penalty for an early tackle. He was then removed for an HIA. Predictably, because it is long established that the HIA is an unreliable tool, Crotty returned to the game.

In the 63rd minute Crotty was hit by Israel Folau's hip in the head. He takes a while to get to his feet and visibly does not look well. A medic comes on. Unbelievably Crotty was allowed to continue for a further four and half minutes before he is
eventually removed. He has effectively been exposed to the risk of third impact syndrome.

There is an irony about Crotty's replacement. The week before Sonny Bill Williams was clearly concussed in the second minute. After a tackle SBW tried to get up, used his arms for support, crabbed sideways and fell back. He again plays on. He receives
other blows to the head. SBW is again at risk of second impact syndrome.

There is a pattern. Sam Cane, again concussed in the second test against Australia, was left on the pitch following a break in play. He defended poorly at the subsequent lineout and was finally removed.

Many medical observers believe that Kieran Read was concussed in the final test against the Lions. In fact I cannot remember the last time a test match was played without an All Black being concussed. Cane, Crotty, SBW and Crockett were concussed in the
two match series against Australia. Read, Waisake Naholo and Ben Smith were concussed against the Lions. There were almost certainly others.

This year alone, Beauden Barrett, Dane Coles, Cane, Crockett, Crotty, Naholo, Charlie Ngatai, Naholo, Brodie Retallick and Ben Smith have all suffered severe concussion symptoms. In the past both Read and Liam Squire have had long periods out of the game
because of concussion.

Ataxia is the medical name for the loss of full control of body movement. In consecutive matches SBW and Crotty suffered ataxia and were not removed from the game. Don't expect SANZAAR or World Rugby to take any action because they never do. They didn't
after SBW. They won't after Crotty.

Rugby's authorities continue to allow teams like the All Blacks and the Lions to set an appalling example to the rest of the game. And each year another couple of invincible young people die. It is now five years since the death of Rowan Stringer. But as
I write this column it is just five days since the death of a young mother. When will the tragedy end?

RIP

August 2017: NZ, League, Name Withheld, Female, 23

July 2017: UK, League, Evan Hawksworth, Male, 14

May 2017: NZ, Union, Daniel Baldwin, Male, 19

September 2016: Aus, League, Grant Cook, Male, 28

July 2016: SA, Union, Jean-Jireh Yamwimbi, Male, 16

June 2016: UK, League, Ronan Costello, Male, 17

December 2015: UK, Union, Lily Partridge, Female, 22

April 2015: Aus, Union, Nicholas Tooth, Male, 25

October 2014: UK, Union, Sarah Chesters, Female, 23

July 2014: NZ, Union, Jordan Kemp, Male, 17

July 2013: Uganda, Union, Yusuf Zaidi, Male, 22

July 2013: NZ, Union, Viliami Halaifonua, Male, 27

May 2013: Canada, Union, Rowan Stringer, Female, 17

- Sunday Star Times

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