IRB Launches Player Welfare Website
The International Rugby Board has launched a new interactive player welfare website aimed at educating and informing the global rugby family on best-practice medical and player welfare policies and research.
Soon to be available in three languages, the new site can be found at www.irbplayerwelfare.com and features the latest player welfare information and research, including user-friendly information on injury prevention, surveillance, global research, approved apparel and equipment, player welfare policies, IRB guidelines and expert papers.
The website is in a user-friendly format and provides a valuable resource for players, administrators, physicians as well as the general public and also includes information on the IRB’s anti-doping egulations and the published policies of the specialist working groups established following the inaugural IRB Medical Conference in November 2009.
IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “The welfare of players at all levels of the game is of paramount importance and the establishment of this website represents the IRB’s commitment to ‘putting players first’, via its Medical Strategic Plan, to ensure the continued dissemination of best possible practice for playing, coaching and officiating rugby.
“This invaluable resource compliments the IRB’s portfolio of interactive education websites that includes injury prevention at www.rugbyready.com, anti-doping education at www.irbkeeprugbyclean.com and the laws of the game at www.irblaws.com.
“We will continue to collaborate with our member Unions to ensure that www.irbplayerwelfare.com is the destination for all best-practice information.”
The second annual IRB Medical Conference will take place in London between November 3 and 5. Topics for discussion by the game’s leading physicians and independent specialists include concussion diagnosis and management, injury surveillance and injury prevention.
“The inaugural IRB Medical Conference provided an excellent first step in a new integrated approach for Unions to share information and discuss global medical issues and provide the catalyst for global player welfare strategy development,” added Lapasset.
“The outcomes of November’s conference will be beneficial in the continued drive to maximise player welfare best practice through the IRB’s medical strategic policies.”
Related Links –
IRFU Player Development Section