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Davies_J_s1303362_MD6106_A3
Friends or Foes
Jon Davies
May 18th 2016
At a time when professional rugby players gain more and more attention from the outside
world, has the relationship between them and the reporters who provide the link between
the fan and athlete become more distant and fraught? Along with this, as the number of
professional players suffering from head injuries continues to rise, the game is currently in
the depths of one of its most contentious issues, as those involved in the game strive for
greater education and awareness on the consequences of these serious injuries. Jon Davies
has been to find out more about this divisive issue….
October 31st 2015. The curtain comes down on the most successful Rugby World
Cup of all time as New Zealand retain their 2011 crown with a deserved 34-17 victory over
old rivals Australia in arguably the most enjoyable and exciting final in the history of the
competition. In the days directly following that Grand Finale, rugby fans and pundits alike
looked back with fond memories on a tournament which had captured the imagination of
people all over the world, in a way never seen before. The tournament led to record
attendances and viewing figures, with official statistics showing a record 2.47 million tickets
being sold throughout the tournament with the final attracting a global audience of 120
million people. The wonderful performances from the likes of Japan and Georgia had
opened the sport up to a much wider audience. Japan’s historic triumph over two-time
champions South Africa could not have come at a better time, with the country due to host
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the next World Cup in 2019. Whilst Rugby Union has been growing in popularity for some
time in the Land of the Rising Sun, the sport has remained in the shadows behind the more
traditionally popular sports of baseball and football. To put into perspective how much of an
impact the Japanese team created back home, a record 25 million Japanese people stayed
up late to watch their team demolish Samoa in their third game of the Rugby World Cup.
The match was watched by around a fifth of Japan’s entire population of 128 million, and
garnered an audience share of 64 percent – making it the biggest national viewing audience
in rugby history. These statistics once again emphasise how the game continues to grow
twenty years after its move into professionalism.
However, whilst the growth in popularity around the world remains something to
celebrate, are the game’s core values in danger of disappearing? Unlike football where the
vast amount of money thrown at players and clubs has distanced the professionals from the
fans, rugby union has historically always maintained a strong link between players, coaches
and fans. However with the game surging in popularity, money is now being pumped into
the oval-ball shaped game like never before, and as a result some are beginning to question
whether the game itself is following in the footsteps of football. The introduction of media
training and media managers at professional clubs has created a situation where for the
most part, journalists get the same answers from players who have in some cases become
too wary of how their words may be interpreted. As a result, reporters and journalists gain
less and less access, as professional clubs now take it upon themselves to relay messages to
the public through club websites and social media pages. While these changes have
improved access to the public and helped move the game even further forward,
unsurprisingly these changes can threaten relations between clubs and the media, and
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consequently have created somewhat of a tense environment between the two, whereby
the one side (media) feel as if they are being shut out whilst the other side (professional
clubs, players and coaches) are increasingly wary of how their words will be construed. A
relationship that should be built on trust is now in danger of being overcome by mistrust.
This tense relationship has not been helped over the last few years with the sport
stumbling upon arguably its biggest crisis in many years. As the game has continued to move
forward in the professional era, naturally conditioning has become a huge factor in the
sport. At a time when players seem to be bigger and stronger than ever before, head
injuries have become more commonplace in the game. With club medics and doctors
coming to realise that the effects of these injuries may be more serious than they first
thought, the increasing number of incidents involving players suffering from head injuries is
a worrying sign. In as physical a sport as rugby, injuries are commonplace, yet it is only now
over the last few years that awareness over the effects of head injuries have become known
to those working in the sport whether it be at a professional or amateur level. With recent
statistics showing about 1,200 people suffer head injuries while playing rugby each year and
with about two-thirds of these injuries being either concussion or brain injuries, the sport
has been left reeling by an issue which threatens its very future. Consequently, more and
more reporters and journalists are delving into analysis and opinion on the issue at a time
when many within the sport – not to mention the fans – are still very much unaware of all
the details surrounding these injuries. With the professionalism of some reporters being
brought into question in the recent past, these relatively new findings within the sport have
seemed to exacerbate the problems between professional athletes and the media that has
led to a more distant relationship between the two.
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The Risks
Whilst the rugby world is now focusing sufficient time and effort in protecting
players when they suffer head injuries, due to a lack of education and awareness of the
issue this has not always been the case.
As if to emphasise the lack of knowledge associated with the impacts of head injuries
was an incident that occurred in 2008 in a test match between Wales and Australia.
Following a heavy collision of heads between opposing centres Jamie Roberts and Stirling
Mortlock in the opening five minutes, the match was brought to a halt as medics checked on
the players. Whilst Australian Mortlock was immediately helped off the pitch looking dazed
and confused, Welsh centre Roberts was initially allowed to play on for another 15 minutes
before being replaced. Wales eventually went on to win the match 21-18 without Roberts,
who realised only after the match that he had fractured his skull during the early collision
with Mortlock. Following this discovery, the Welsh centre was immediately rushed to
hospital, but incredibly suffered very few side effects with the exception of a strong
headache and just a few months later was back out on the rugby field. Whilst Roberts has
gone on to play for many more years without any issues arising from the injury, it is certain
that if a similar incident was to happen in a match now, neither player would be allowed
back on to the pitch.
A more recent case in point was an incident involving Wales winger George North in
2015 against England. Having taken an accidental kick to the head in the first half, North was
examined on the pitch by the Welsh medical team before going off to receive the necessary
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concussion protocols. Having passed the necessary tests North returned to the field of play
just before half-time before continuing in the second-half. Twenty minutes into the second-
half, the Welsh winger was again involved in arguably an even more dangerous head
collision as he clashed heads with team-mate Richard Hibbard as they attempted a tackle
together. The clash immediately caused North to lose consciousness as he collapsed to the
ground without protecting himself from the fall. Despite the severity of the incident,
incredibly North was once again allowed to carry on playing after receiving on-field
treatment and completed the match. Unsurprisingly attention soon turned to the actions of
the Welsh medical team who came under severe scrutiny for allowing North to continue
playing after two potential head injuries. Whilst North was rested for the next game in order
to recover fully from any on-going symptoms, only a few weeks later when returning to club
duty the player was involved in yet another concussion incident whereby he was once again
knocked out following a collision with an opposing player. North was immediately taken off
following the action, and subsequently was told following consultation from neurosurgeons
that he was to take a four-month break from rugby to fully recover from any possible side-
effects following his fourth concussion incident in five months.
Both of these cases once again highlight how dangerous an issue head injuries may
be, but also emphasise how more research is needed to educate people involved with the
sport and make everyone aware of the necessary action that must be taken to protect
players’ well-being. Whilst the two cases in point have striking similarities despite being
seven years apart, it is worth remembering that the issue has only been brought to public
attention over the last 18 months due to events such as North’s possible head injuries.
Whilst the actions of the Welsh medical team in the England match were rightfully
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questioned, it is highly unlikely that those medics would make the same decision now,
largely in part to the greater awareness brought about from that night in Cardiff.
With more money and research being put in to investigate the effects of head
injuries, steps are being made within the sport to obtain even greater education and
awareness for all individuals involved in the sport, whether it be on a professional or
amateur level. However with statistics from the EPR Injury Surveillance Report from the
2013/14 season showing concussion to be the most common match injury for the third
consecutive season, tackling the stigma of head injuries remains an ongoing challenge.
One man who knows all about the stigma that comes with head injuries is Jonathan
Thomas. A former Wales flanker, capped 67 times by his country, Thomas was an integral
part of a Welsh squad who won two Grand Slam titles in four years. Having been diagnosed
with epilepsy in October 2014, Thomas was forced to retire in the summer of 2015, with his
diagnosis seemingly caused by multiple head traumas which subsequently led to a degree of
brain injury.
Despite having to retire early from the game at the age of 32, Thomas has chosen
not to dwell on his situation.
“My diagnosis obviously came as a shock to me at the time, and whilst I was
obviously disappointed that I couldn’t play on for a few more years as I would have
expected to at that age, I understood having explored every possible avenue with the
medics before making a decision, that when the doctors finally told me in the summer of
2015 that I couldn’t carry on, instead of being in denial about it I think I was quite accepting
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of the fact that the time had come because I had tried everything and knew I wasn’t right, it
didn’t make the decision any easier or less hard to make but I knew it was the right one.
“As an athlete you always feel like you are indestructible, when you are diagnosed
with something like that there is a vulnerability about it because all of a sudden you know
you are human like everyone else and there is somewhat of a harsh reality around it.
“If I would have had to retire immediately following my diagnosis I would have
struggled to deal with that mentally, but having played on for a further 10 months I had
time to come to terms with the situation and by the end was satisfied that there was no
more I could have done to prolong my career.”
Given the increased publicity of the issue of head injuries in rugby, I was curious to
know whether Thomas was wary of revealing the possible cause of his epilepsy?
“I felt strongly about being honest, talking to medics they say epilepsy is the one last
condition that has a stigma around it, so the reason I wanted to be honest is if I didn’t say
anything I think I would have just been adding to the stigma, I didn’t want sympathy I just
wanted to state the facts and help bring greater awareness to the issue.
“Certain media wanted to bring me down a certain route because it added to the
headlines of concussion and the scaremongering and that is where I got frustrated but that
was the minority, the majority were great, as for the minority they had their own agendas.”
With the English Rugby Audit from 2013/14 also showing that concussion
constituted one eighth of all match injuries, I was interested to know whether Thomas
believes enough is being done to protect players’ well-being in regards to head injuries.
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“I think there have been massive strides over the last few years, but there is still a
long way to go.
“Up until 2 years ago I don’t think there was and that’s purely because of a lack of
education around the subject and a lack of awareness through people driving it, but through
the number of cases over the last few years its brought it much more into the forefront of
people’s minds and as a result the Unions and medical teams of clubs are much more aware
of the issue.
“Despite all this I believe the biggest responsibility is on the players themselves, and
my concern is the lower end of the game because they don’t have medical professionals on
the side-lines and perhaps players don’t have the same understanding because they haven’t
been through the courses the Union provide top-end players, so they might continue to play
with head trauma and not understand the consequences of doing so.
“As a player though, if you’re in a world cup final and a minute in you get a knock on
the head, your gut feeling is telling you, you will do anything to stay on the pitch, so if
players at all levels understand what the symptoms of head trauma are and the potential
consequences of playing on they can make informed decisions.”
Having played at a high level for both club and country, Thomas is no stranger when
it comes to dealing with the media. Whilst the issue of understanding and awareness of
head injuries amongst the rugby fraternity is being improved upon, many journalists are
reporting on head injuries with very little understanding of an issue that potentially
threatens the future of the sport.
So how should it be reported?
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“It is a topic that needs discussing but needs to be carefully managed in how it is
reported; you want to bring awareness to the issue without scaring people away.
“Modern journalism has changed because of stuff like Twitter, players are able to
give their own side of things, and people might read something in newspaper and then go
on someone’s Twitter for a greater clarification on what they might have said. With my
situation I just wanted the facts to be reported because I wanted to raise awareness of head
injuries without scaring people.
“I spoke to all different types of people in the media and the ones I had the most
respect for were the ones who just reported the facts and they didn’t try to exaggerate
certain aspects but rather just put out the facts, you can still in my opinion provide an
interesting article by providing the facts and asking them the right questions.
“The media has massive impact on general public, so they have to be really careful
about how they report injuries in particular.”
With an increasing sense of friction between players and reporters eminent, the
former Ospreys flanker was keen to get his views across.
“As a player, I never had any problems with the media. I think sometimes players can
overthink relationships as they feel as if the media are out to get them and I think if you
have that mentality your relationship is compromised and you don’t give a true reflection of
your personality.
“It is important to be sensible in what you say but also to be open and honest and to
get your own personality across.
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“When I was captain at Worcester, I knew I was going to be asked tough questions
and needed to answer them honestly and if you do that I think it builds a two-way trust
between the media and the players, if players become too guarded or take things too
personally, that is what creates friction.”
With the spotlight being shone on safety within the sport, future participation may
become another issue, something that Thomas – through his own circumstances – is well-
versed to discuss.
“My concern with the concussion thing is that people need to report the facts and
not scaremonger.
“There is a danger the game could become too safety-conscious, but people love
watching massive hits as it’s a huge part of rugby so I don’t think you can ever discourage
that otherwise it becomes a non-contact sport. Rugby is a contact sport and you need to
play hard but by the rules.
“The feedback I get from some parents is ‘Am I going to let my kids play rugby given
what’s happened to me’, my answer to that is I have had amazing experiences playing rugby
and I would always encourage anyone to play the game because it is a fantastic game.”
The Other Side
The role of a sports journalist remains important in all sports. Although clubs now
employ their own media and Public Relations teams that can report back to the public
through websites and social media, the vast majority of information and analysis the public
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receive from different sports often come from journalists with no direct links or affiliation to
the clubs and individuals they report on.
Despite all this, the general relationship between media outlets and professional
sportsmen and women has started to become less harmonious over the years with a
number of events in various sports adding fuel to the fire.
The recent doping scandal in athletics is an example of this.
The roots of the current scandal began in June 2015 when Alberto Salazar, one of the
top Athletics’ coaches in the world, was accused of violating anti-doping rules.
The claims were made following a BBC Panorama investigation into the Nike Oregon
Project – an elite American long-distance running training facility set up by the shoe
company – where Salazar is Head Coach.
With British Olympic champion Mo Farah being one of the athletes trained by
Salazar, many people came to speculate that Farah himself may be a drug cheat.
Despite Farah publicly coming out and denying all allegations against him as well as
claiming to have no knowledge of the claims made against Salazar, the long-distance runner
was made a scapegoat by many within the media in the build-up to the 2015 World Athletics
Championships in Beijing.
Despite the bad publicity and constant media pressure weighing down on him, Farah
brushed aside the rumours to defend his 5,000 and 10,000m world titles and once again
reign supreme on the grand stage.
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However with Farah admitting in interviews since those events that he believes there
are always likely to be people who believe he is guilty of doping, and having received
constant pressure and allegations thrown at him from the media in the build-up to Beijing, it
is only natural to think his relationship with some members of the media has been soured
by the events of 2015.
With a resulting report, commissioned by WADA, confirming widespread use of
performance enhancing drugs and blood doping by Russian track and field athletes, the
world of athletics has been thrown into disarray amid rumours that the governing body, the
IAAF, may have been aware of Russia’s actions.
With just a few months to go before the 2016 Olympics in Rio kick-off, at a time
when Britain’s athletes should be talking about their excitement and hopes ahead of the
games, many are wary of speaking to the media with a dark cloud hanging ominously over
their sport.
Like doping in athletics, the increasing number of concussion and head injuries in
rugby union has only exacerbated the issue of friction between players and the media.
Despite this, with an issue as serious as concussion it is of vital importance that the
public are made more aware of what is being done to tackle the issue, which makes it all the
more important for reporters to maintain positive relations with those involved in the
professional game, which is something that freelance rugby journalist Tom Bradshaw knows
all about.
“It is indispensable to maintain a good relationship with players and coaches”, says
Bradshaw.
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“As a journalist you have to be a people person, you should be able to adapt to the
great differences that exist in human personalities and get along with people and know how
to work with people of different inclinations and attitudes.”
That isn’t to say that Bradshaw believes journalists should always get along well with
sports stars.
“If the players are never having their feathers ruffled by you as a reporter it means
you are doing something wrong because it means you are not holding them sufficiently to
account.”
Bradshaw – who previously worked for the Bath Chronicle covering Bath Rugby –
went on to add:
“If you are doing your job well as a local sports reporter there will be times when you
have conflict between players and the management of the club.”
Speaking of his time at Bath, Bradshaw said:
“I was hanging around the club pretty frequently, so there were occasional conflicts
of interest when the players or team weren’t playing well, but in my own dealings I can
honestly say that I didn’t find it particularly hard to have decent relationships with players
there and the same goes for the other professional clubs that I have covered.”
Now working as a freelance rugby reporter, Bradshaw – who is also a University
lecturer – is in the perfect position to analyse the changing scope of reporting when it
comes to head injuries.
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“As a reporter I need to inform people why someone has left the field, references to
head injuries are more commonplace and frequent now than they ever have been, and
coaches are going to refer to their players suffering from head injuries which means we as
journalists must report on players suffering from concussion because you are quoting what
coaches said so I don’t think it is hard to comment on head injuries.
“As journalists we’re up to speed with the evolving issue of head injuries and how
the games’ authorities now take it much more seriously and because we’ve covered this
story we are familiar with the protocols and tests. We have a rough idea of these tests that
they do and appreciate that coaches are under more pressure than they ever have been to
not endanger their players.
“However there are different cases to look at. Former England international
Shontayne Hape was forced to retire due to a number of head injuries and since retiring he’s
published a very powerful article in the New Zealand Herald saying how he felt he was
treated like a piece of meat at times during his career and he only retired three season ago.
“Powerful stories like that have forced the game, coaches and journalists to be more
sensitive and knowledgeable about the issue.”
With head injuries attracting more column inches than ever now, the physicality of
the modern game has also been debated.
A Daily Mail article written by Jeff Powell in 2015 is a classic example of this.
Powell’s article surrounded a tackle made by England lock forward Courteney Lawes
on France fly-half Jules Plisson in England’s 55-35 win in the final match of that year’s Six
Nations championship. As Plisson shaped to pass the ball along to a team-mate, Lawes – as
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any defender would – marked the attacker up and went in for the tackle. As Plisson released
the ball the action led to the Frenchman turning his body slightly so that when Lawes came
through with a shuddering - yet legal – tackle, Plisson was hit in the back and subsequently
smashed backwards with huge force. At the time, referee Nigel Owens with the help of a
Television Match Official reviewed the tackle and was happy that Lawes was committed to
the hit before Plisson released the ball and therefore was a legal tackle.
Following the match Powell wrote up an article widely condemning Lawes’ action
and the decision of the referees and rugby authorities. In the article, Powell criticised Lawes
for not apologising in the aftermath, claimed if a similar incident were to happen on a public
street it would merit an assault charge and also used the tackle as an example of why
parents may discourage their children from playing the sport.
Ironically the nature of Powell’s sensationalised article sparked more debate and
controversy than the tackle itself with over 100 comments being posted online in response
to the article, with many written in disagreement of Powell’s point of view.
So where do journalists stand on the issue?
“I know journalists at Daily Mail in particular who started campaign around
concussion in rugby and the danger with a campaign like that is every piece is linked to the
campaign so you have a snowball effect, where the news organisation is repeatedly looking
for more collaboration or interviews from doctors that supports the line of their campaign
and perhaps information that is contrary to the campaign is overlooked or downplayed,
which is worrying because you then have a misrepresentation of an issue or a misbalance.”
Bradshaw goes on to say:
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“There are some sports journalists who almost become a brand in their own right
and get too cocksure about themselves and can sometimes rank their opinion above
everyone else’s and that kind of self-indulgence in journalism can crop up, particularly if you
are a well-established writer.
“However I’m uncomfortable with the idea of the full extent of serious injuries not
being relayed to the public simply because it might have a negative impact on the uptake of
the sport, which would be a type of self-censorship by the journalist if they opted to do that.
“It’s a difficult one, but what you should do as a journalist is to give both sides to the story
even if particular information goes against what you are trying to say or do.
“We as journalists need to be careful how serious we claim a certain head injury or
concussion to be, concussion is much more talked about which is a good thing but at all
times it is incumbent on the journalist to make sure their language around the subject isn’t
over the top.”
The debate around safety within the sport was recently brought to public attention
once again following news that more than 70 doctors and academics are calling for a ban on
tackling in rugby matches played in UK and Irish schools.
In an open letter to ministers, the doctors claimed that injuries can have lifelong
consequences for children and argue that two thirds of injuries in youth rugby - and most
concussions - are down to tackles and have urged schools to move to touch and non-contact
rugby.
The notion has been widely dismissed by many former players, school teachers and
fans, a view shared by journalist and former Bath Chronicle Sports Editor Neil Beck.
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“I was disappointed to read recently about the debate about whether tackling
should be allowed in schools because it is an important part of the game and I see no
problems as long as you are taught correctly and safely how to tackle by coaches, I think
things like that are going a bit too far.”
“It’s important to make people aware about head injuries and to educate them but
banning tackling is not the answer.”
Beck – who is now editor of West-County based sports magazine XtraTime West –
also believes that as a journalist it is important to help parents become more aware of
safety within the sport, especially with regards to head injuries.
“Raising awareness with head injuries is key in all sports not just football and rugby,
as people should know the risks before they take part and I think having all the information
is important, so as a reporter I feel it is our responsibility to present the facts without trying
to unduly influence people.
“My personal feeling is the benefits of playing sport outweigh the risks, although
there are obviously risks associated with playing contact sports.
“I think it is better for parents and their children to be presented with the facts and
then make the decision themselves, I wouldn’t discourage my children from playing rugby
on the basis of what I’ve read but that isn’t to say someone else wouldn’t, it is an individual
thing and is your choice.”
Despite his views Beck does admit that journalists do need to be educated more
when it comes to head injuries.
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“I wouldn’t say I feel particularly comfortable talking about head injuries and
concussion, I don’t think that I know enough about it and do sometimes have to read
around the subject.
“I think it would be good to have a bit more knowledge about it, and is probably
something that the RFU can look at, maybe they could put on workshops and invite
reporters along, and it would be good to put that out to the media.
“There are occasions I think when modern-day reporting has become more
unprofessional, only because the social media aspect makes life difficult because you tend
to have to be ahead of everyone else on there, as there is a pressure to get stuff online.
“Sometimes you don’t get the depth nowadays and unfortunately it can be a case of
quantity over quality in local press, and the shrinking in the number of jobs doesn’t help as it
can lead to shrinking in terms of quality and professionalism.
“Any journalist would benefit from greater education on head injuries and I would be
keen to go along to find out the latest information because as a journalist the facts are key.”
So does he feel enough is being done within the game to tackle the issue?
“I think the protocols are good and I welcome the rules being brought in.
“It is possible to go over the top but I think the balance is right at the moment,
although whilst I think enough is being done at the moment, there is a long way to go and it
is paramount that we continue to research and look into the subject.”
With all the tension created by such an issue, Beck understands that relations
between media and players will remain lukewarm.
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“I do feel that players are more guarded now, it is becoming harder to get decent
stories out of players particularly in press conferences where they seemingly want to
protect their club’s image as well as their own.
“Through my own experiences rugby players and coaches tend to be more open than
footballers, but I think they are too afraid of saying something controversial.
“The characters don’t come through as much nowadays, everything can be a bit
bland and I don’t think that helps the game.
“Whilst you want to stay in the good books with clubs it is a balancing act, as if you
are doing your job properly there will be occasions when you have to tread over the line and
upset them.”
So what if anything needs to be done to improve relations?
“I think greater understanding from where everyone is coming from really.
“I think it would be more enjoyable for players and coaches if they were let off the
leash a bit more to say what they really think, clubs sometimes think they can portray their
own version of events without the third party involved but that really isn’t the case and
shouldn’t be the case.
“I think people still like to hear journalists opinions, clubs perhaps need to be more
understanding and perhaps both parties need to be more honest in what they want.
“With my work for the magazine I have enjoyed some great interviews with sports
coaches that seem to be more relaxed and honest than formal press conferences, so I think
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a more personal touch from coaches and players would really help establish a greater
connection for everyone involved.”
The Coaches’ View
Dealing with the media has always been a big responsibility for coaches. Whether it
be in football, cricket or rugby, much of a professional sports coaches’ time is now spent in
front of a camera or microphone answering questions from the media.
Like their players, coaches can often endure frosty relations with the media but often
have to maintain a solid working relationship with reporters and journalists for the benefit
of both their clubs and players.
Yet that is not to say that coaches do not have their run-ins with the press.
Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was renowned for his
intimidating presence towards journalists.
One of the most infamous stories concerning Ferguson’s difficult relationship with
the press stemmed from a BBC documentary in 2004 about his son Jason Ferguson, who
worked as a football agent.
The documentary entitled ‘Fergie and Son’, raised serious doubts about the
professional conduct of Jason Ferguson, with the agent being portrayed as somebody who
exploited his father's influence and position to his own ends in the transfer market.
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Although Jason Ferguson was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, Sir Alex
subsequently refused to speak to the BBC in light of the portrayal of his son’s motives and
actions in the documentary.
In 2011, following a meeting between then BBC Director General Director Mark
Thompson and Sir Alex Ferguson, the then-Manchester United manager agreed to lift his
seven-year ban on speaking to the broadcaster.
Although this is a somewhat sensationalised and uncommon example of a coach
falling out with the media, it is another reminder of the tension that can arise within the
world of professional sport.
For Worcester Warriors coach Sam Vesty, this is something that is all too familiar.
Having played professionally at both Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby during his career,
Vesty chose to move into coaching following his retirement from playing.
Having first joined Worcester as an academy coach, Vesty was promoted to first
team backs coach in 2015, and now working as a coach at senior level is all too aware of his
responsibilities.
“Of course it’s important to maintain good relations with the media as a coach.
“At the end of the day both the journalists and the club need to get something out of
it, and as a coach if you come across badly in the media it can be very damaging as that is
where people get their opinions on what you are trying to do with the club.
“It is a difficult balance as you have to be able to talk freely with them but you can’t
get too close because there is a fine line.”
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So how does the relationship differ from his playing days?
“You probably get asked tougher more pointed questions as a coach”, said Vesty.
“I think I always had a healthy relationship with the media as a player, very
occasionally I felt that my words may have been misconstrued and were perhaps presented
in a way not how I would have liked to be seen by the public, but on the whole it was very
positive.
“That said I was always wary and considered what I said, I probably made a few
mistakes over my career and you learn that perhaps you have to be a bit guarded with
certain people.”
Having worked at Worcester around the same time that Jonathan Thomas was
forced to retire, I was interested to gather Vesty’s thoughts on the reporting of head
injuries.
“I’ve looked at all the data sets about head injuries and concussion coming back from
the medical profession and it is worrying.
“As a rugby player you go into the game with your eyes wide open.
“You know injuries are commonplace, but there’s a difference between being a little
bit bruised and battered in your limbs and being able to hold a conversation with your
daughter.
“With regards to the media, I don’t think there has been too much scaremongering.
“Some people might think journalists have delved too far into things like concussion
but I would actually disagree with that.
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“Saying that I think journalists should be careful how they report on these injuries
and the stats behind them because you can’t be vague in these areas you have to be
accurate.”
Vesty also believes that more education on the impact and severity of head injuries
is needed for everyone involved with the game.
“People are becoming more educated about the issue, the RPA (Rugby Players’
Association) has everyone do an online quiz that you have to pass that educates you and
everyone within the rugby club must do that, and I think it would be helpful if you are a
sports journalist to receive the same educating on the issue.
“Raising awareness and educating people is very important and I think the
management of that from the governing bodies is getting better.”
With more and more professional clubs providing media training for academy
players, many people believe that rugby is following a similar route to football in that too
many players say the same scripted material in interviews.
While the rise of social media has often been celebrated as a means of greater social
interaction and debate, issues have arisen through sites such as Twitter where people have
been accused of forms of discrimination such as racism and homophobia through ill-judged
quotes that have been misinterpreted.
This has become a specific issue within professional sport with many sportsmen and
women interacting with fans through social media at a time when clubs are wary of the
impact said quotes may have on the players as well as the club.
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As a player who started out his career during a time when media training was almost
non-existent, I was interested to get Vesty’s thoughts on the practicalities of media training
for young players.
“When I started out as a young player I was surprised we didn’t receive more media
training.
“I just learnt on the job, made a few mistakes but gradually became more savvy and
learnt from those mistakes.
“However the game has changed a lot over the last few years and you see
sometimes in sports such as football, that some people have a vested interest in finding
something bad about certain young players and whilst I still don’t think that is the case in
rugby, I do believe as a coach that a certain amount of media training is necessary for young
players nowadays.”
So with safety in the game a hot topic at the moment, should more be done to tackle
issues such as head injuries?
“I don’t think more needs to be done in terms of safety within the game.
“There has always been a stigma about rugby being a brutal sport, and there are
certain aspects where the game has turned into a bit of touch, but rugby is a physical game
and you need to be able to have contact within the sport.
“I wouldn’t change many of the current laws away from where they are but it does
worry me that the game may get sanitised and not be the game we love to watch.”
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With a number of players being forced to retire early from the game due to injuries,
Vesty also believes that it is important as a coach to encourage young players to have career
options outside of rugby.
“I think it is always important to have options outside of rugby.
“Of all the players that are signed up to professional clubs’ academies, only a few are
likely to make it to the top, so I would encourage any young player to work on what they
want to do when rugby doesn’t go their way because the chances are against you.
“With regards to head injuries specifically, the things that have been implemented
have gone a long way to tackling the issue in a short period of time which will hopefully
mean that those players going through these issues now will be in a good place when they
retire.
“However for the players who have retired and are suffering from the possible
effects of head injuries like Jonathan Thomas, I think more needs to be done.
“The problem with that though is a few years ago nobody could have foreseen the
impact that head injuries may have had on the brain, so I don’t think anyone is to blame.
“There is greater awareness and education now within the game, and thankfully I
believe everyone within the game is moving in the right direction when it comes to player
safety.”
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The Future
Safety within sport has always been something of a divisive topic. The nature of
sport means that those who choose to participate must be aware that there are dangers,
however small. Any sport whether it be rugby or gymnastics, will have potential hazards
that could lead to injuries, yet at both amateur and professional levels safety is the top
priority and is always adhered to.
However a number of extraordinary cases over the last few years have served to
remind the sporting world that safety within sport is something that must be maintained
and advanced upon.
Over the course of two months in 2014, the world of sport was rocked by not one
but two tragic accidents involving elite sportsmen in competition that sadly led to the death
of both sportsmen.
The first incident occurred in October 2014, when an accident at the Japanese
Formula One Grand Prix resulted in French driver Jules Bianchi crashing his Marussia car into
a recovery vehicle, which subsequently saw the Frenchman suffer a “severe” head injury.
The crash was mainly caused by the wet conditions in Suzuka.
As the rain intensified and light faded, Bianchi’s car aquaplaned off at the same spot
where recovery vehicles were attending the Sauber of Adrian Sutil, and collided with the
rear of a tractor crane tending to the removal of Sutil’s car.
The race was immediately called off as an unconscious Bianchi was rushed to
hospital for emergency surgery before being placed into an induced coma.
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Tragically however, Bianchi never regained consciousness following the incident and
died on 17th July 2015, aged 25. He became the first F1 driver to die from injuries sustained
in a Grand Prix since Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna was killed at the San
Marino Grand Prix in 1994.
Just under two months after Bianchi’s crash at Suzuka, the cricket world was rocked
by their own tragedy when Australian batsman Philip Hughes died in hospital, two days after
being struck on the top of the neck by a ball during a domestic match in Sydney.
Hughes – also aged just 25 - collapsed face first on the ground when batting for
South Australia after being hit by a bouncer from Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield game
against New South Wales.
The accident occurred despite Hughes wearing a helmet, and after receiving CPR and
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at the ground; the batsman was rushed to a local hospital
where he had a 90-minute operation to relieve the pressure on his brain.
Despite the operation, Hughes never regained consciousness and died two days
later.
The striking reality in both of these cases was that both incidents were freak
accidents whereby no safety measures were breached.
However with both sports still struggling to come to terms with their losses, more
pressure is being put on governing bodies and manufacturers of sporting equipment to carry
on trying to improve safety within both sports.
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The same could be said for head injuries in rugby union. Whilst knowledge and
awareness on the issue has improved over the last few years to the point where players’
safety is now more assured than ever, that is not to say that there should be a sudden
reduction in the focus given to continuing to fight the stigma of head injuries.
In many ways an issue as sensitive as this could have the capacity to improve
relations between the media and sporting individuals.
With medics, reporters and players often debating over the current safety measures
put in place to protect players from head injuries; many people are giving their honest
assessments and opinions – something that hasn’t always been the case.
As Rugby Union has continued to progress as a professional sport, safety within the
game has continually moved forward to the point where players are now protected as well
as possible with increasing numbers of medics and physios available. With this beginning to
trickle down to all levels of the game, there is no reason why more youngsters should not be
encouraged to take up a sport that is growing so fast in popularity around the world.
However cases like Jonathan Thomas prove that caution is also needed in the future
and with many players like Thomas being forced to retire early from the game, it is
paramount that those involved in the game continue to support these players off the field.
As for the relationship between players and the media, it is clear to see that more
honesty from both parties may be needed in the future. That is not to say – as mentioned
before - that everyone needs to get along in all circumstances, however a little more
understanding about what everyone wants and is looking to gain will go a long way to
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making the whole process of interviewing and reporting, a more positive experience for
everyone involved.
Then and only then will the game continue to flourish and prosper as a global game.
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