THE following recently appeared IN sports LITIGATION ALERT
(Editor’s Note: To say Bob Latham is passionate about rugby would be an understatement. Besides being the chairman of USA Rugby, the Jackson walker partner sits on the international Rugby Board Council, the IRB executive Committee, and chairs the IRB regulations Committee. We wanted to learn more about that passion, which is why we reached out to him for an interview, which follows.)
Bob Latham
Question: how did your interest in rugby come about?
Answer: I started playing in 1978 when I was a student at Stanford University. I was looking for a new challenge in sports and I had a number of friends at Stanford who had migrated to rugby from other sports which, at the time, was how most American rugby players started in the sport. They talked me into stepping onto the pitch, and I have never looked back from there.
Q: What are the most pressing legal issues in the sport?
A: The legal issues are generally tied together with other issues, be they matters of governance, playing, branding, or discipline. While rugby is a very physical sport, we want it to be as safe as we can make it. So, issues of player welfare are always at the forefront — from on-field issues to issues relating to rugby’s calendar. Making sure that we have a disciplinary structure that is perceived as fair and consistent and serves as a deterrent for dangerous play is something we constantly look at.
Further, we have recently had a number of issues surrounding player eligibility, especially for players with dual citizenship and in light of rugby rejoining the Olympics last year. and while doping has not been prevalent historically in rugby, we work to keep it that way with our anti-doping efforts. Ultimately, there must be an education component working alongside the legal issues to ensure that our membership is enforcing our laws and regulations at all levels of the game.
Q: how are you and the bodies you represent addressing the concussions issue?
A: The concussion issue is something we are constantly looking at. The chief medical officer of world Rugby, Martin Raftery, has established an impressive network of experts that provide us with the most up-to-date analysis. We are very transparent with regard to any information that we have. We look at our tackle laws and how they can be tweaked to reduce the incident of concussions. In fact, several well-known American football coaches have been bringing in rugby coaches to teach their players rugby tackling techniques. Our disciplinary procedures and sanctions reflect how seriously we take any contact with the head area. Our protocols for dealing with a possible concussion, including our laws providing for a Head Injury assessment (HIA), are reviewed constantly Camiseta Fluminense so that they reflect the latest expert recommendations. Our referee training includes training in how to handle a suspected concussion. and again, much of it is educational — education as to how to recognize a concussion, education as to the effects of a concussion and education as to the proper protocol when a concussion is suspected. What I think is very positive in this regard is the direction the culture of the sport is taking. no one wants to see a player who may be concussed staying on the pitch to “fight through it” or to just “suck it up.” When you have players at the top level of the game advocating a policy of “recognize and remove” when it comes to concussions, it very much helps that message resonate at the community and youth level.
Q: What can be learned from the experience of the NFL and NHL with regard to concussion?
A: Well, look, without a thorough dive into their histories on the Camiseta LOSC Lille issue, I don’t want to go too far with any comments regarding the NFL and NHL. but I think there are some universal points. The first is that you cannot ignore the issue. It is an issue, it needs to be addressed, and it needs to be re-addressed constantly. Assemble all relevant information, have the best experts in the world involved, and share that information in a timely way with your players, coaches and constituents. Train your referees and coaches in proper concussion protocol — it is not a sign of toughness to stay on when you have a concussion, and coaches should not be expecting that Camiseta Liverpool FC of a player. adjust and enforce the rules of your game in a way that reduces the incident of concussions. use all resources to recognize a concussion — be it a teammate seeing the nature of the injury, a referee seeing it, even video replay if it is available. Vigilance and caution are especially necessary at the youth level. youth coaches, referees, administrators, even parents should be educated on this issue. One other thing to note — you mention American football and ice hockey. but every sport should have a concussion policy. I have seen concussions in girls’ volleyball and soccer. If there are any dinosaurs out therenull