Concussions rise but it's not all bad

Mike Rogers.

More than 250 sports-related concussion or brain injuries were reported in the Western Bay of Plenty from 2011 to 2013, costing ACC more than $200,000.

It said the number of claims was highest in 2013 at 109, which cost $62,765.

Bay of Plenty Rugby Union chief executive Mike Rogers said the increasing number of claims was due to greater awareness and education about concussions, resulting in better reporting of injuries.

"Twenty or 30 years ago, there was no awareness of the issues of head knocks so guys would just keep playing the game," he said.

"If that means there's an increase in the number of reported injuries, I think that's really positive."

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The union was communicating with stakeholders about ways to improve the situation, working with doctors at CentralMed Medical Centre on education and embracing prevention initiatives, Mr Rogers said.

ACC spokeswoman Stephanie Melville likewise said the increase in claims could be attributed to improved awareness of sport-related concussion symptoms and the seriousness of head trauma.

"The culture whereby a player, being the hard stoic bloke that he was, would shrug off a hard knock to the head and dive into the next tackle is changing, and quite literally from the paddock up," she said.

The number of moderate to serious injury claims had reduced by 15 per cent since ACC introduced injury prevention initiative RugbySmart in 2001, Ms Melville said.

Wider context
• Rugby union or league concussion claims lodged in the Bay of Plenty region increased from 71 in 2011 to 98 in 2012 and 111 in 2013.
• Nationally, there were more than 3000 sports-related concussion/brain injury ACC claims a year from 2011 to 2013.
• In 2011 these claims cost $1,900,105. In 2012 they passed the $2 million mark to $2,148,705, and in 2013 they dropped slightly to $2,093,815.
• Rugby union or league concussion claims totalled 1787 in 2011, 2028 in 2012 and 2155 in 2013.