Should Referees be Responsible for Player Wellfare? (Brutal Gio Aplon KO)

Just saw this clip of Gio Aplon getting knocked out cold in the recent Stormers v Rebels game.

http://www.rugbydump.com/2012/07/2697/gio-aplon-knocked-out-with-brutal-elbow-from-teammate#allcomments

He gets elbowed/shouldered in the face by a team mate at full pelt while tackling a player and collapses to his knees like a rag dole, almost instantly his team mates call out to the ref that something's wrong and a moment later the ruck almost collapses on to while he's out cold. Even though he is in full view of all of this the ref allows play to continue for a couple more phases before Aplon not moving and a number of Stormers players convince him to stop.

Thankfully Aplon recovers after a few minutes and actually carries on the match. My questions are should the ref have stopped the match the moment he saw that Aplon was unconscious and almost in a ruck? Does he not have the players wellfare to consider and the fact that he could see the incident and Stormers players were calling to him should have alerted him.

And after that is it not negligent of the coaching team and medical staff to allow him to carry on after being knocked out cold?

Ref definitely should of stopped that earlier and Aplon should not have been allowed to continue after being concussed.

The number of mullerings Aplon takes any ref truely concerned about safety would refuse to let him on the pitch in the first place.

Has this guy done something to upset the world?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAu9BFSaifE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz_EQ1wMV_M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z_qOAG5FvY

Maybe its just wearing a scrum cap that attracts it


Im not sure the delay was that bad was it? Its quite normal to bring on medics whilst the games in full flow, its when he realises that Aplons seriously hurt he calls play dead less than 20 seconds after the hit.

But in that time the rucks fallen on him, he could have been even worse off if play had moved the other way over him.

He does seem to attract a lot of grief, maybe it's because he's so small...

Referee should have stopped it earlier, but one thing about Gio Aplon, pound for pound he is the gutsiest player I have ever seen.

Big respect, big.

yappysnap wrote:But in that time the rucks fallen on him, he could have been even worse off if play had moved the other way over him.

He does seem to attract a lot of grief, maybe it's because he's so small...

Right but whats the ref supposed to do , whistle play dead every time someones tackled incase they are unconscious? Id be very surprised if he didnt whistle it dead as soon as he was aware.

Remember when ROG thought the McBoston Strangler had got him at the end of the Scotland match a few years back? Noone noticed he was dead for quite some time. There was that Welsh chap who lost a leg and had to rely on Danny Care to tell the ref. It happens. Chris Ashton has been in a coma for most of the last 18 months and he still keeps getting put on the pitch.
Refs cant always tell a players hurt, their main focus has to be the match. They do have a responsibility for player safety, and should be whistling it dead when they are aware someones seriously hurt. Such as here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR0GCyi-sUc Doesnt blow up the minute a player is contacted, blows up as soon as he realises theres a problem.
Unless youre suggesting refs start blowing up every time theres heavy contact I cant see what the ref did wrong in this case.

I get the respect, big time.
But after seeing a guy slump over like that, WTF is going on?
Being allowed to continue on the pitch? That body position shows a clear lack of neurological control.
Fecking stupid.

This is the kind of "gutting it out" which we all used to do, and, at least for me and many others, through multiple concussions. I thought we all know better now - and I am talking about my medical contemporaries here.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Refs cant always tell a players hurt, their main focus has to be the match. They do have a responsibility for player safety, and should be whistling it dead when they are aware someones seriously hurt...............Doesnt blow up the minute a player is contacted, blows up as soon as he realises theres a problem.
Unless youre suggesting refs start blowing up every time theres heavy contact I cant see what the ref did wrong in this case.

I agree. This is one more thing which makes being a referee so difficult. I don't think the referee saw Aplon on the ground in the semi-aware state. Took another player calling to him plus play coming back for him to blow it up. They can't see everything. I am not sure what the assistant referees saw, however. I would think one would have had a clear view. I don't fault the ref here at all.

Grey what are the Medics responbilities and powers to withdraw a player in these circumstances/ I assume the ref simply goes with their advice?

Peter,
At many of the lower levels the touch line docs can order a player off. Not sure the authority at the pro level, and not sure if the rules in SANZAR areas are the same as in UK/Ire. Generally, though, if a doc orders someone off, they go. I am not sure if that is a mandated power or simply the right thing to do because I can't see anyone arguing over a medical circumstance.

In the wake of bloodgate, the opposing doc can check a player if removing one for medical reasons allows another player who already came off to go back on.

I think the ref did what he could given that he is following play. I also think the real danger is leaving the guy on the pitch afterwards. There is no reason or place for it and it could be very dangerous.

I do appreciate that they are much more discriminating about the effects of blows to the head than they used to be, but that kind of judgement is based on more information than could be gained by shining a light in Aplon's eyes beside the pitch.

I seem to remember in the South Africa game a few years ago when Ashton got clonked Rolland verified with the England doctor that he was ok to go on. I sounded like he was getting a medical confirmation and then the responsibility falls on the Dr shoulders rather than the ref.

I think on this occassion the ref should definitely stopped play. if i'm right you can actually hear one of the stormer players shouting at him to stop play too.

biltongbek wrote:Gio Aplon, pound for pound he is the gutsiest player I have ever seen.

Taking an Ashton exorcet missile in the tests and a few weeks later being sparked by your own team mate, you'd have to be!

I've been catching up on my Super Rugby after since getting the sports channel and the SA conference games are the most physical. Crunchy, really really crunchy!

The Oz NRL league comp has a rule where a trainer can run to an injured player and call out to the ref to stop play if needed. Doesn't happen often but have seen it recently. The trainers in the NRL are forever on the field though and they can get in the way a bit.