Concussion in French Amateur Rugby : Survey About the Management and Knowledge of Players

Concussion in French Amateur Rugby: Descriptive Cross-sectional Survey About the Management and Knowledge of Players Over the 2019/2021 Seasons

Rugby is a popular contact sport in France the majority of whom are amateur players. Concussion is one of the main risks given its potential severity and frequency (between 2.78 and 10 per 1,000 player hours). Faced with a concussion, stop sport activity, medical evaluation and a progressive resumption of activity are simple things to do to avoid an over-risk of injury and better recovery of the player. For this purpose, the rugby federation implement the blue card and the concussion declaration by clubs. A recent study showed that the directives of the federation are not sufficiently respected. The non-declaration problem is added knowing that around 50% of concussions are not declared. In professional rugby, the presence of a medical staff makes possible to optimize care as much as possible. In the amateur world, there are not always medical or paramedical personnel trained for this problem at the edge of the field when all the participants (player, coach, coaching) lack of knowledge on the subject and that the general practicer remains the referent for the concussion management. We will reach a dozen amateur rugby club to complete a questionnaire about concussions and conduct un formation session about this issue.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male 18 years of age or older
• Amateur rugby players in a club of New Aquitaine region who agreed to participate
• Licensed with the federation for 2019/2020 or 2020/2021 season
• Between the federal 1 and the 4th series

Exclusion Criteria:

- Refusal to complete the questionnaire