Eben Etzebeth is back for the Sharks after four months on the sidelines.
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Former France international Sebastien Chabal’s heartbreaking admission that he has "no memories" from his international rugby career is another warning sign about the dangers of concussions in the game.
This follows on from 2023 when a group of nearly 300 former players, including England World Cup-winners Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery, launched legal action over brain injuries in December 2023.
The players alleged World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and the English RFU failed to establish reasonable measures to protect their health and safety. Thompson and ex-Wales star Alix Popham have both revealed they suffer from early-onset dementia.
Injuries from head blows are said to have caused disorders such as motor neurone disease, early onset dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.
Over the last decade there has been a noticeable effort made to combat these injuries by amending the laws to punish players for high and dangerous tackles.
Players are now encouraged to lower their tackle height, as straight red cards and bans are not seen as harsh punishment anymore.
But rugby is a contact sport and the risk of concussion is great because it can happen all over the field, even with the more stringent tackle laws.
But off the field is where a difference can be made, because so often players are rushed back from these concussions before they are properly healed.
That is why we have to take our hats off to the Sharks and the Springboks’ management of Eben Etzebeth, who will make his return to the game this weekend after a four-month absence.
The 33-year-old superstar lock suffered a head knock in the Sharks’ Champions Cup match against the Exeter Chiefs on December 7, and the Sharks, to their credit, have insisted that player welfare is paramount and no chances will be taken with the lock’s health.
Etzebeth has a documented history of concussions, including three in 2021 while at Toulon, leading to a three-month mandatory break. This pattern suggests a cumulative risk, necessitating careful management.
Research indicates that repeated concussions increase the risk of long-term neurological issues. Etzebeth’s history necessitated stricter management than standard protocols.
Etzebeth is an important member of the Sharks team and they could have really done with his presence on the field over the last few months. But they put the player’s needs first and hopefully the Bok stalwart will soon be back to his brutish best.
Etzebeth will finally be able to take out that pent-up frustration on Edinburgh and Ulster during the Sharks’ United Rugby Championship tour.
He remains one of the Springboks’ most important players in the lead up to the 2027 Rugby World Cup. So maybe this four-month break has also given him the time to shake off other niggles and prolong his distinguished career even further.
It’s really good news that he will be back on the park. However, the opposition teams may not feel the same way.
Additional reporting by AFP
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