Scrum safety sought

Press, 25 May 1984, Page 15

Scrum safety sought

The biggest crowd of the season is expected at Rugby Park on Saturday morning, to see scrum safety techniques demonstrated. The most important will be the new two-stage method of putting down a scrum, something which will come into force in the lower grades (from under 19 down) on a trial basis tomorrow week. The C.R.F.U.. which, through its coaching committee. is organising the demonstration, is unsure how many will attend, but it is counting on at least 500. A similar function was held in Ashburton recently and about 35 were expected. More than 300 turned up. The chairman of the coaching committee. Mr Peter Robinson, said that there was clearly a lot of interest in scrum safety, and this was understandable in light of the neck and spinal injuries which had occurred this season.

“The main purpose of the morning will be to demonstrate the new scrum, but the opportunity will be

there for people to ask questions, and put forward suggestions, on any matters relating to the prevention of serious injuries." said Mr Robinson. A former All Black captain. Tane Norton, will be in charge of demonstrating the new scrum. It is something which he has advocated for four or five years, as a means by which the jolt factor can be lifted from those in the front row. Kerry Tanner, who. like Mr Norton, knows from experience what life in the front row is like, and Jerry Rowberry, of the C.R.F.U.’s staff coaching panel, will assist Mr Norton, and Mike Fitzgibbon will give a referee’s perspective. Hurunui sub-union has a seven-a-side tournament set down for Sunday and it has been excused. However, it will not miss out. Mr Norton has agreed to run another demonstration in Hawarden on Monday evening. Mr Robinson said that while there was widespread concern about scrum safetv.

and N'.Z.R.F.U. surveyshowed that the number of spinal injuries each year had not increased. "But when they come all at once like they have this year it is a matter for concern." Mr Robinson said that the survey showed that more than a third of such injuries occur in trial games, social games or at practice. There had been none in the primary and secondary school grades, and very few in the senior games. "It is men in the 17 to 24 age group who appear to be most at risk, and of those who have been badly injured it can nearly always be traced back to them being untrained or being placed in positions to which they are not physicallysuited.

"Good coaching is the key to safe rugby, and it always will be. The two-stage scrum is seen as a possible aid and that is why we want as many coaches as possible at Rugby Park on Sunday so that they can become fullyacquainted with it." said Mr Robinson.