Officials set to gather for welfare conference

Leading figures representing various areas of the rugby game - players, coaches and broadcasters - will attend the first IRB Player Welfare Conference to be held in Dublin on September 9th & 10th.

Key topics for discussion will include player injuries, player burnout, rest periods and the psychological as well as the physiological demands of the modern, professional game.

Recommendations made at the conference via the Medical Advisory Committee will be put to the IRB Council in November for consideration.

The conference will be hosted by IRB Chief Executive, Mike Miller who commented, "I am delighted that the conference has been widely received by the game generally, we look forward to a wide ranging discussion and I'm certain it will be a very productive two days."

Amongst those attending the Player Welfare Conference are: Daniel Herbert (Australia); Greg Feek (New Zealand); Abdel Benazzi (France); John Mitchell (New Zealand); Ian McGeechan (Scotland); Dr. John Mayhew and Dr. John Best.

• Full List of Conference attendees:
  Nigel Henderson
  N.A Murphy, IRB Council
  Dr. Syd Millar, IRB Council
  David Pickering, IRB Council
  Mr. Sam Simon, IRB Council
  Mr. J. O Neill, IRB Council
  Mr. T. Gresson, IRB Council
  Mr. R. Oberholzer, IRB Council
  Mr. S. Nkanunu, IRB Council
  Dr. Barry O Driscoll, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. Filippo Bottiglia, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. Ichiro Kono, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. Ismail Jakoet, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. John Best, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. John Mayhew, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. Preston Wiley, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. Roger Evans, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. Simon Kemp, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. Enrique Basso, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Graeme Mew, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Dr. J. Mombet, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Prof. Donald Macleod, IRB Medical Advisory Committee
  Patrick Wolff, Principle Speaker
  Clyde Williams, Principle Speaker
  Dr. Arja L.T Uusitalo, Principle Speaker
  Ken Quarrie, Principle Speaker
  John Mitchell, Principle Speaker
  Gilbert Enoka, Principle Speaker
  Alastair Hignall, Principle Speaker
  Tony Spreadbury, Referee
  Ian McGeechan, Coach
  Jim Telfer, Coach
  Albe McCormack, Physio
  Cobus Visage, Player
  Daniel Herber, Player
  Greg Feek, Player
  Abdel Benazzi, Player
  Damien Hopley, IRPA
  Tony Dempsey, IRPA
  Rob Nicol, IRPA
  Piet Heymans, IRPA
  Serge Simon, IRPA
  Steve Tew, Sanzar Rep
  Butch Watson-Smith, Sanzar Rep
  Jon Davis, Six Nations Rep
  Harry Burnett, SRU
  Andrew Hore, WRU
  Peter Friend, ARU
  Dr. Liam Henessey, IRFU
  Eddie O Sullivan, IRFU
  Kentaro Azuma, Japan
  Chris Spice, RFU
  Dr. Donal O Shaughnessy, Barbarians
  Derek McGrath, ERC
  Roger O Connor, ERC
  Manuel Martin, European Clubs Association
  Joseba Fernandez, European Clubs Association

• Conference Agenda:
  September 5, 2002

  Day 1
  8.00 - 8.15 - Welcome Mike Miller CEO IRB

  Setting the Scene

  8.15 - 8.40 European Club Perspective - Patrick Wolff
  8.40 - 8.55 Players Perspective - Two professional players
  8.55 - 9.10 Medical Science considerations - Dr. John Best
  9.10 - 9.40 Physiological demands - Prof. Clyde Williams
  9.40 - 10.10 Psychological demands - Gilbert Enoke
  10.40 - 11.10 Player "Burnout" - Dr. Arja L.T. Uusitalo
  11.10 - 12.00 General discussion

  Injury in Rugby Union
  1.30 - 2.00 Injury trends in Rugby - Ken Quarrie
  2.00 - 2.15 Player perspective of Injury risk - Damien Hopley
  2.15 - 2.30 Coach perspective of Injury - John Mitchell
  2.30 - 2.45 Contracts in Rugby - Tony Dempsey
  2.45 - 3.00 Return to play guidelines - Dr. John Mayhew

  3.30 - 4.15 Break out workshop groups

  1. Return to play
  Gilbert Enoke
  Player
  Dr. John Mayhew
  Ian McGeechan
  Tony Dempsey

  2. Player Burnout
  Dr. Arja LT Uusotalo
  Clyde Williams
  Dr. John Best
  Player
  Hugh Penman
  Jim Telfer

  3. Reducing injury trends
  Dr. Ken Quarrie
  Prof. Donald Macleod
  Geoff Evans
  Steve Griffiths

  4. On-field Injury interchange
  Dr. Barry O Driscoll
  Dr. Ichiro Kono
  Tony Spreadbury
  John Mitchell
  Rob Nicol (TBC)

  4.20 - 4.40 Presentation from each of the Breakout workshop groups (5 min each)
  4.40 - 5.30 General discussion - Nigel Henderson

  Day 2 - The Rugby Player and Rest

  8.30 - 8.45 Previous Day Summary / Objectives of Day 2 - Dr. Preston Wiley

  8.45 - 9.15 Team Medical care in Professional Rugby - Dr. Ismail Jakoet
  9.15 - 9.25 Physiological effects of rest - Prof. Clyde Williams
  9.25 - 9.35 Psychological effects of rest - Gilbert Enoke
  9.35 - 9.45 Global effects of rest - Dr. Arja L.T. Uusitalo
  9.45 - 10.00 Broadcaster perspective - Alastair Hignell
  10.30 - 10.45 A proposal for players rest - Medical Advisory Com.
  10.45 - 12.00 Facilitated discussion - Nigel Henderson
  1.30 - 3.45 Formulation and consolidation of proposals - Nigel Henderson
  3.45 - 4.00 The Way forward - Mike Miller CEO IRB