So, I’ve been moved into a new position for my club, into the front row, as the hooker. My first real game in the position was last Saturday, and since then, my ears feel like they’ve been boxed, my neck is stiff, and my arms and muscles across the shoulders make it feel like I was crucified. All this was with an opposition pack who were taking it easy, in a friendly (we won, though :p). I note also that every time I try to hook the ball, I feel pressure across my chest, as I bend my body trying to get my foot around it.
I’ve been told this will eventually fade as I develop more muscle in the right places, but reading up on the position, I notice there’s an increased chance of me being paralysed with a broken neck (along with the rest of the front row).
How worried should I be about this? Has the new rules on crouch-touch-pause-engage significantly reduced the risk? “Everybody” knows the stories of paralysed forwards, but these all seem to come from before the new rules set in. There’s still time for me to pussy out
Squeezed between 4 huge men with your head tucked under a fifth’s shoulder what the whole mass is trying to push as hard as it can. What could go wrong? At least you don’t have someone’s arm up between your legs.
I’ve always thought there were more neck and shoulder injuries in the backs, from the high speed, open field tackles, but I have no cite for that. My big concern in the safety of any position in the scrum is whether is this an experienced team or a bunch of new players. I would be very reluctant to be part of a scrum where there aren’t a good number of experienced players, especially if you are playing inexperienced teams.
Of course, I’m old now and I can’t believe the things I did when I was young. I’ve played on teams where 50% of the guys have never seen a Rugby game and the scrums were down right dangerous (I was a back, of course, due to my slim physique and high IQ.) No way would I want my son to hook. If I were 20 again I’d be saying - hell yeah, grease up your ears or get a scrum cap.
I played wing forward in high school and college but also was the back-up at Hooker. I liked playing the position but it certainly leaves you in a vulnerable position. I’m not familiar with the new rules but I’m glad to hear some thought has been put into improving the safety of the game. As has been mentioned there is a big difference with an experienced group of forwards; even in my brief time at that position that was one of the things I noticed. I don’t think I would encourage my son to play there though but you never would have talked me out of it at that age.
That’s a good point. I have a thick neck and it definitely helped at that position. Lots of power cleans and snatches and heavy shrugs are great to strengthen the trapezius and surrounding muscles to help protect the spine.
You mention your ears feeling like they’ve been boxed - you are wearing a scrum cap right? You don’t want to end up looking like this lad (warning: quite graphic…)
If it makes you feel any better I remember a study done showed that the scrum wasnt actually the most dangerous place to be on a rugby field. Rucks and the tackle area in general were much worse for serious injury. Course that could be the fact that the scrums are so well policed and backs sticking their noises in ruck where they dont belong. Apologies but I have no idea where to find that study!
How did I know that was going to be Graham Rowntree before I clicked on that link. The worst thing about that guy is a career of specialising at Loosehead has meant one ear is much bigger than the other!
*3.5 SUITABLY TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED PLAYERS IN THE FRONT ROW
(a) The table below indicates the numbers of suitably trained and experienced players for the front row when nominating different numbers of players.
(b) Each player in the front row and any potential replacement(s) must be suitably trained and experienced.
15 or less Three players who can play in the front row
16, 17 or 18 Four players who can play in the front row
19, 20, 21 or 22 Five players who can play in the front row
*
and also:
3.13 FRONT ROW FORWARD SENT OFF OR TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED OR INJURED
(a) If after a front row player has been sent off or during the time a front row player is temporarily suspended, and there are no further front row players available from the nominated team, then uncontested scrums will be ordered. It is not the responsibility of the referee to determine the suitability of trained front row replacements nor their availability, as this is a team responsibility.
…
(d) Furthermore, if, because of sending off or injury, a team cannot provide enough suitably trained front row players, the match continues with uncontested scrums.
(e) An uncontested scrum is the same as a normal scrum, except that the teams do not compete for the ball, the team throwing in the ball must win it, and neither team is allowed to push.
So the powers that be have long considered it a serious matter. Your club is meant to ensure that you are physically capable of safely playing the position before you start playing there.
I packed into a few scrums in the front row in one game due to necessity and the idea of playing there without having done LOTS of neck strengthening exercises seems idiotic to me. Without even considering worst case scenarios like the rare crippling injury, it would just be too easy to do harm that could last a lifetime.
