Hard data for deaths in Rugby?

Good question, and I agree with you that one needs citations, because exactly of Larry's general point: one needs to understand what the numbers are actually all about. For example, does this mean deaths either directly on the field or as a direct and short-term outcome of what happened on the field after being removed? Many of the US football deaths are from heat "stroke", and often death would have occurred in the hospital some hours or perhaps a day or two after the player was stricken, and heroic measures were abandoned by the family. I'd count that as a football death, certainly, but some databases might not.

Larry's point about premature deaths associated (at least potentially) with injuries, but long delayed from the injury, is very much harder to quantify, and the statistics for it would need very careful attention. But it is undoubtedly real, and for rugby it can be associated not only with head injuries, but also with catastrophic spinal-cord injuries that lead to pulmonary failure, sometimes years later.

This actually happened to a mate of mine, a hooker who went down in a collapsed scrum, injuring the spine at C6. The guy was a complete stud, in great shape when he was hurt. But after an initial recovery that allowed him to return to work (he was a lawyer), Shlomo started having breathing problems that could not be reversed. Finally about 5-6 years after the injury, the signals to the lungs were simply inadequate and he died of "pneumonia". There is no question whatsoever that he would be alive today except for that rugby injury, and that the spinal-column insult was the initiating step in his death. But I would bet anything that his death is not part of any body of sports statistics.

My guess is that the major difference, normalizing to numbers of players or hours played or something to make the numbers truly comparable, will be in deaths from heat injury, with that being a very large proportion for gridiron and a low one for rugby, simply as a matter of kit.

Mark L.

EDIT: Andrew - Thanks very much. Shlomo was a good man. The injury was very shocking, of course. Hard to look him in the eye a couple of days later at the rehabilitation hospital, all braced up in that damned head-gear they use, and not think, "Christ, he's probably thinking why was it me - I should never have gone on." I know I was thinking something like that. The long decline turns out to have been much, much harder, really.

Joseph Rugby is a total blast. The only reason why you might not want to try it out, is because you will have so much fun playing, that you will never want to stop playing it again. It is completely addictive, a total thrill, and WAY funner to play than football; and especially because you really want to play, I would say that you simply MUST go try it. You will feel shy at first, but I guarantee that you will start to get the hang of things soon. And by the way, rugby is universally regarded the coolest, most bad-*** sport there is. So if you play, no matter where you go, people who know anything about the game will admire you. An extra bonus. Go out and give it your all. It will be one of the greatest experiences of your life.

Perhaps your question is a little vague here.

Do you mean deaths from rugby players actually on the field or sometime later due to a rugby injury ?

And I assume you are referring to all age groups, school boy level to the pro level.

I certainly don't know of any deaths as a result of a rugby game in NZ at the top-level.

It has occurred at other levels in NZ also other factors would have to come into it... e.g players with medical conditions which might have contributed to the death.

I would have to say, the death rate is very low compared to American football without any official data to quote to you.

I cant speak for Au st, SA, Fr, or the the UK rugby scene, maybe some answerer from there could help you.

p/s -the only notable death in a rugby match I can recall was ex-AB Nicky Allen playing in a club game in Au st, 1984 I think.

He received a heavy tackle fell back on his head, unconscious for 3 days in hospital before he died, very sad !

Rugby Player Dies On Field

Don't know any real stats...however, I've heard on several occasions through several sources that the number #1 cause of Death on the rugby field is DROWNING....caught at the bottom of a ruck or pile on a wet muddy pitch...Also I know a friend's father died on the pitch after suffering a heart attack during warm ups...but his death is probably related to overall health than the game itself..I'm sure there's may ways of applying the statistics to suit your purposes...IS the greater question the one the NFL seems to be realizing nowadays that it's retired players die young and is that accountable in the death stats, not just died on the field or in hospital after a on field injury but died a early death in their 40's or 50's even though being in great physical fitness? If one plays pro or international rugby are they dying younger too--repeated collisions have to take their toll.

Very sorry to hear about your mate Mark. It's one thing to be injured on the field, another to have that injury cause complications and difficulty in your life off the pitch.

Sorry BLM I have no data to add.

@Mate there's nothing you can do to change what has happened, all you can do is think if you would have done the same thing had your roles been reversed, and of course you would, without a second thought. Without knowing Shlomo, he, as a front rower, is still a brother, and we look out for and fight for each other. Unfortunately, sometimes sh1t just happens, for no reason at all, a tackle goes pear shaped, a scrum collapses, a ruck gets nasty. All we can do is grin at it and fight on.

All the best mate.

Hey,

Rugby is certainly safer than american football because it has careful laws.

In the last 110 years there have been 71 recorded deaths as a direct result of an injury caused playing rugby. :) (as of 2008, but not many people will have died since then...)

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-_-