The Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation is committed to being a leader in the support of and implementation of safe sport strategies. Click on the tabs below to see a list of resources and trainings related to Concussions, Safe Sport, and Everyone’s Game.
⬣ CONCUSSION SAFETY
→ Concussion 101, Rowan’s Law, The Blue Card, The 4Rs, Learning Opportunities
⬣ SAFE SPORT
→ Safe Sport 101, Rugby Canada Safe Sport Policy, Learning Opportunities
⬣ EVERYONE’S GAME
The Safe Sport webinar aired on Sunday, September 19th. With support from the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC), hosted by Spencer Robinson, TIRF DEI Coach of Youth Rugby and Belonging, with special guests Dr. Scott Dunham and Abyan Chowdhury.
Know the facts about concussion in sport. Discover innovative tools and resources to support your organization, inform your practices with evidence and ultimately keep your athletes and yourself safer.
To find concussion research, education, policies, FAQs and more, please visit: SIRC Concussion Link
Rowan’s Law legislation was passed by the Ontario Government in 2018. This legislation is named in memory of Rowan Stringer who tragically died in 2013 of Second Impact Syndrome, the result of suffering multiple concussion playing rugby three times in six days. The legislation is designed to create a safer environment for competitive amateur athletes, children and youth to play sport.
Knowing how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a concussion, and what to do if a concussion happens – whether you’re an athlete, a student, a parent, a coach, a team trainer, an official or an educator– saves lives. The Ontario Government is committed to implementing Rowan’s Law by putting concussion safety information in the hands of people who need it most. Increasing awareness and changing conversations in sport, at school and in our homes, will result in transformative change to the way in which concussions are managed in amateur competitive sport and beyond.
Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation is committed to being a leader in the support of and implementation of Rowan’s Law.
Piloted in New Zealand in 2010 due to a rise in concussions, the blue card is a process initiated by a coach, player or match official and delivered by the match official to identify a player who has been removed from play due to a suspected concussion. The match official must then submit a blue card report in an automated online platform such as SportLomo, ensuring the correct return to play protocols are followed before a player is cleared to play.
In New Zealand, the implementation of the blue card has allowed for over 75% of players diagnosed with a concussion to return to play in the same season, a significant increase from previous years. Thus, to enhance player safety, all games under the jurisdiction of Rugby Canada and the provincial unions must abide by Rugby Canada Concussion Guidelines. With that, Rugby Canada and Rugby Ontario have implemented the Blue Card at all levels of the game in Ontario.
What happens when a suspected concussion occurs? What do you do next? This set of evidence-based tools is designed to help sport organizations and participants manage concussions.
Please visit SIRC for more details on the The 4R’s: Steps to a Safe Recovery
Coaches, athletes, parents, and officials all have a key role to play in creating a safe sport environment. Concussion education is important for everyone involved in sport as everyone plays a role in improving concussion management and prevention.
⬣ Tackle Ready by World Rugby. With an average of 176 tackles per game, it is vital to ensure that all players (and coaches) can perform (and coach) the tackle safely and effectively. The Tackle Ready programme provides an in-depth framework which focuses on five key stages, each with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
⬣ Concussion Ed App by Parachute Canada is designed to give Canadians free access to critical concussion resources. This free mobile app has been developed primarily for youth, parents and educators, but covers concussions throughout different scenarios for a wide audience.
⬣ Making Head Way Concussion eLearning Series by the Coaches Association of Canada is targeted at Coaches and will help you gain the knowledge and skills required to ensure the safety of your participants.
⬣ A Guide for Students & Athletes of All Abilities: e-Booklet by the Government of Ontario. Learn about concussions as a student or athlete of all abilities, including what a concussion is, how to identify the signs and symptoms and what to do if you or someone you know might have a concussion.
⬣ Concussion & You: A handbook for Parents and Kids developed by concussion experts and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
The Canadian sport system is committed to creating safe sport environments that are free from all forms of maltreatment.
To find safe sport policies and procedures, training, research, FAQs and more, please visit: SIRC Safe Sport
The Canadian sport system is committed to creating safe sport environments that are free from all forms of maltreatment.
To find safe sport policies and procedures, training, research and FAQs, please visit SIRC.
Rugby Canada has a fundamental obligation and responsibility to protect the health, safety and physical and mental well-being of every individual that is involved in the Canadian rugby community.
The Organization takes any situation involving misconduct or maltreatment very seriously. For this reason, the Organization is committed to enacting and enforcing strong, clear, and effective policies and processes for preventing and addressing all forms of misconduct or maltreatment.
This Safe Sport Manual has been developed by Rugby Canada and adopted by the Organization. These policies are intended to promote a Safe Sport environment in a manner that allows for consistent, immediate, appropriate and meaningful action should any issues arise, but also to prevent issues from arising in the first place by communicating expected standards of behaviour.
Safe Sport training is available for participants and organizations at all levels of sport in Canada. Below are some suggested trainings for coaches, players, and parents.
⬣ Everyone’s Game by TIRF is an activity-based training about creating safe, inclusive, welcoming spaces for young people in sport.
⬣ Safe Sport Training Module by the Coaches Association of Ontario gives you the knowledge and skillset to create a safe and inclusive sport environment, and helps you recognize and prevent maltreatment in sport.
⬣ Respect in Sport Inc. offers 2 training. The Sport Activity Leader/Coach Program educates leaders, officials, coaches, or participants in sport on matters of bullying, abuse, harassment, discrimination, and more. The Respect in Sport Parent Program will help define a standard of behaviour for all parents and create a more rewarding, safe and respectful environment for everyone involved.