Tuesday 27
April, 10.00
The role of players’ organisations in dealing with concussion in
sport will be addressed in the third session of the inquiry. The PFA’s Gordon
Taylor will be joined by Damian Hopley of the Rugby Players
Association and Paul Struthers of the Professional Players
Federation.
MPs will consider medical advice given to players about the risks
of concussive head trauma, its treatment, and attempts to have
brain injury in football classified as an industrial injury. The
welfare of players affected will be addressed, along with how
grassroots sports are supported.
The session will also hear from organisations representing
specialist medical expertise in sports medicine on issues such as
whether it is possible to define a ‘safe limit’ for heading a
ball, the evidence threshold for sports science, and the risks
faced by children.
The first evidence
session heard from leading experts consultant
neuropathologist Professor Willie Stewart and neurodegenerative
disease specialist Professor Craig Ritchie. At the second
session first-hand accounts of brain injury came from two former
Team GB athletes, and campaigner Dawn Astle, with questions to
the FA, World Rugby, Team GB and the Rugby Football Union on
their response to the available evidence on the links between
head trauma in sport and neurodegenerative disease.
Witnesses at 10.00:
-
Gordon Taylor OBE, Chief Executive, Professional
Footballers’ Association
-
Damian Hopley, Chief Executive, Rugby Players
Association
-
Paul Struthers, Director, Professional Players
Federation
From approx. 11.00:
-
Dr John Etherington CBE, Medical Director &
Consultant Rheumatologist at Faculty of Sport and Exercise
Medicine UK
-
Dr Richard Sylvester, Consultant Neurologist at
Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health
