Documentary - Should rugby be made safer?

[dave_clark]

maybe resources should be diverted?

or, perhaps more realistically, club membership and/or match fees would be increased to cover the cost.

 

[Davet]

or, perhaps more realistically, club membership and/or match fees would be increased to cover the cost.

That would be one way of getting the problem scaled down.

Playing numbers would drop significantly, and many clubs would simply fold.

 

[PaulDG]

One of the people I play rugby with came from South Africa a few years ago, and said that a school 1st XV game wasn't allowed to start unless there was an ambulance and paramedic present.

I can see the logic in this but can't see how the RFU or any home union would be able to fund this.

But why would we do it? My guess is that in South Africa, there's not the expectation that the local health authority can get a paramedic to you in the 10 minutes or so they're expected to in mainland UK (a little longer in rural areas).

Unlike perhaps many other places where rugby is paid, we already pay taxes (and borrow huge sums of money ) to provide these services on a general basis.

 

[nealed]

But why would we do it? My guess is that in South Africa, there's not the expectation that the local health authority can get a paramedic to you in the 10 minutes or so they're expected to in mainland UK (a little longer in rural areas).

Unlike perhaps many other places where rugby is paid, we already pay taxes (and borrow huge sums of money ) to provide these services on a general basis.

agree of course
the issue with catastrophic injury is that it is the first 10 mins that are important after that time probably doesnt matter that much (unless some sort of internal haemorrage)
thats why you need someone there at the time
the chances of such injuries are very very small, but it is these injuries which end in such sorrow

 

[Davet]

Which is where we come back to the evaluation of risk, and probability vs cost.

We could make our society far safer by banning smoking, drinking, cycling on public roads, requiring all cars to be fitted with a 40mph speed limiter, etc., but we don't.

The real question is how safe do we want to be and what do we see as an acceptable level of risk?

 

[nealed]

well sounds like south africa and argentina have an opinion on this which differs to the UK

 

[Colt]

how can I get to see the clip just been to the site, clip no longer available, anyone download it?

 

[Dixie]

why not?
clearly other countries can and take the safety issue very seriously. Maybe resources should be diverted?

I'm told that the cost of calling an ambulance in the US (paid for by your health insurer) is $10,000. Now if I were an insurance company, I'd be looking to ensure that costs charged only reflected the true costs (and, in the US, a commensurate level of profit) of the service provided. Here in the UK, we never see the real costs of providing an ambulance for our use - I wonder if it is anywhere near the US level for properly trained personnel and equipment? I fully accept that for sports purposes, trained volunteers and a severely reduced equipment set would be acceptable.