Brain Injury New Zealand Urges New Zealand To Follow Mandatory 21 Day Return-to-play Rules For All Contact Sports

‘We need to take care of all our sports players, young and old. The Australian Senate has just recommended an overhaul of sporting codes to reduce concussion and other traumatic head injury in contact and collision sports, including 21 days before athletes can return to play, and the establishment of a national sports injury database. We urge the New Zealand government to do the same’ said Brain Injury New Zealand President Iain Watkins.

‘We were lucky to have been part of the magic of the women’s football world cup, and now to watch the All Blacks fighting for the world cup title. But this is the time to remind Aotearoa of what is at stake if traumatic head injury in sports is not taken seriously. All our athletes, from the grassroots to those on the world stage, deserve to be safe.’

‘Traumatic head injury, which includes concussion, is a debilitating injury and can have serious life-long consequences, including neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) caused by repeated head injury. CTE causes memory loss, learning disabilities, depression and other mental illness. As a sporting nation, we can do better.’

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