Codes and Policies
It is a requirement that all players who suffer a concussion seek the highest level of medical care reasonably available and follow Rugby Australia’s Graduated Return to Play processes to ensure the appropriate management of concussion.
A concussion is a brain injury and must be taken seriously. All players with potential head injuries or concussion must be removed from the field of play immediately.
In matches of U13 and older, when a player leaves the field due to signs and symptoms of concussion or suspected concussion, the referee will show the player a Blue Card. This card is a visual cue for team support staff; it must be recorded by team officials and triggers an off-field medical process to begin.
This off-field process (which applies to all rugby, not just U13s and older) is detailed in Rugby Australia’s Concussion Management Procedure.
Rugby Australia’s Concussion Management Procedure (CMP) reflects best practice for the management of concussion for rugby at the community levels of the game in Australia.
The CMP defines the minimum return to play periods for children, adolescents, and adults and outlines the steps required following a concussion or suspected concussion to ensure they are managed appropriately.
Under the CMP, the following minimum return to play periods apply:
- Adults aged 19 and over: the minimum period before return to play is 12 days
- Children and adolescents aged 18 and under: the minimum period before return to play is 21 days.
For all players, the management of concussion involves the following 8 steps; each step must be followed and completed before moving to the next. These can be thought of as occurring in two stages:
Step 1: RECOGNISE – Step 2: REMOVE - Step 3: RECORD - Step 4: REFER
If a player has signs or symptoms of a potential head injury or concussion, no person (e.g. physio, coach, trainer, or doctor) can over-ride the requirement of a player to remain off the field.
On the day of the injury, the following documents must be provided to the player, or the player’s parent/guardian.
Step 5: REST – Step 6: RECOVER – Step 7: RECORD – Step 8: RETURN
For any player diagnosed with a concussion, the stepwise Graduated Return to Play (GRTP) process must be followed, concluding with the completion of the Referral and Return form.
A player failing to complete the form, will be excluded indefinitely from full contact training and match play.
For further information on the CMP, please consult the following resources:
At all times, players, parents, team officials, match officials and medical staff must act in the best interest of player safety and welfare by;
- Taking responsibility for the recognition, removal and referral of players to an initial medical assessment by an appropriately trained healthcare practitioners,’ including medical doctor, physiotherapist, nurse, and nurse practitioner.
- Ensuring instances of concussion are appropriately managed including following the CMP in full, including all documentation (with final clearance by a medical doctor), and use of Rugby Xplorer for case management to prevent player participation until final clearance is received.
Concussion Management Checklist for players, teams and competition managers can be found at:
Additional information on the management of concussion can be found at: