Here's your rugby evening headlines for Sunday, 31 July.
Scotland Rugby Union release statement
The Scottish Rugby Union have issued a statement in response to a harrowing interview with the family of Siobhan Cattigan.
The Scotland women’s international passed away last November at the age of 26, with her family now joining the brain injury lawsuit that is being taken against World Rugby and other governing bodies. In an interview with the Sunday Times, they explained how a series of head injuries had caused a decline in her mental health that ultimately led to her death - you can read the details here.
In response to the publication of the interview, the SRU's new statement read: “The account of Siobhan Cattigan’s life and sad passing reported in the media today, as told by her parents, made for challenging reading. Neil and Morven Cattigan have shown enormous courage in sharing so openly details of their relationship with their daughter and the thoughts of everyone at Scottish Rugby continue to be with the family.
“In the letter of condolence sent to Neil and Morven last December from our chairman, CEO and president of Scottish Rugby, we offered any support we could to the family, and that offer remains open. We recognise this has been a very upsetting time for the Cattigan family and Siobhan’s close friends and if any of Scottish Rugby’s actions following Siobhan’s passing have made that more difficult, then we do, of course, apologise sincerely.
“The published interview covers a significant number of topics which we are now considering carefully. We will be working through it with colleagues and advisors to learn, from their perspective, more about the issues mentioned.
“We fully acknowledge the seriousness of what the family have shared. However, there are details and assertions about how our people are said to have acted that we do not recognise or accept. Respecting medical confidentiality, and with reference in the interview to a potential legal claim, we are not in a position to communicate further on any details of Siobhan’s care at this time.
“We will continue to work closely with the many people connected to Scottish Rugby who knew and played with Siobhan to ensure they are supported at this very difficult time.”
Former Dragons coach's stunning concussion revelation
Ex-Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman has admitted he suffered approximately 25 concussions during his final year as a player.
The former Dragons coach now writes a column for the Sunday Independent, where he detailed how often he struggled with concussion-like symptoms during his final season with Leinster in 2009/10. Often, he wouldn't even flag the symptoms up to the team doctor.
Read more: What the players will have to prove when rugby's day of reckoning comes
“In my last season as a player, my susceptibility to concussion increased massively,” he wrote. “The previous season I had noticed that it was taking less contact to give me a blinding migraine or dizziness but it wasn’t something I ever considered would make me miss a match or even a training session. Back then, there was still a bit of an old-school attitude in the dressing room to concussion and it was rarely seen as a serious injury among us players.
“Unfortunately, during my last season, my ability to play or sometimes train without concussion-like sensations was next to non-existent. Even warming up and hitting a tackle bag was often giving me a blinding headache – or I would temporarily lose my balance, or have a seeing-the-stars-like feeling.
“My tolerance for contact was so low that it felt as though I could have been concussed in a pillow fight. I think I got around 25 concussions in that last season. The vast majority of these I kept to myself and didn’t declare to our team doctor, which was naive and stupid of me. With hindsight, I was lucky I lost my place as the first-choice hooker and I went from having started 19 matches the previous two seasons to just eight in my last.
“I would pop some pain killers on the walk to the pitch and knew that first hit would send a pain so sharp into the back of my head that I was just trying to get them finished and hope it was one of those migraines that didn’t hang around for long.”
As for the headaches, he developed a habit of buying time to try and get himself right. “The problem was that the more concussions I got, the less spooked or worried I was by them. I knew I just needed to buy myself time.
“In a match, a lost contact lens (popped out by me), faking being winded, or a non-existent shoulder injury were all used to get the physio onto the field to buy myself enough time to get my balance back and play on. I know… madness… a stupid way to behave."
Springbok star tackles critics
South Africa full-back Willie le Roux has addressed the criticism he regularly receives from fans.
The 32-year-old took on a different role in the recent series against Wales, acting as a replacement rather than a starter. However, despite often being a source of criticism, le Roux remains a vital part of the Springboks' plans for a World Cup defence in his new role.
Speaking at an online media briefing from Mpumalanga ahead of their Rugby Championship opener against the All Blacks, le Roux said: “Sometimes you play well and you still get criticised. That is just how our supporters are.
“It means they care. If they don’t criticise you about anything then you know they don’t care. For me, it is always about going out there and doing my best and then I know I got the backing of the team, the coaching staff and everyone.
“At the end of the day what they say to me matters, my family, the close ones, but if the supporters didn’t criticise then you know they don’t care about us. Sometimes you just have to take that and move on and then do your best when you get an opportunity again.”
Under pressure All Blacks coach defended
Former Scotland coach Matt Williams has hit out at the New Zealand media and All Blacks fans for their treatment of Ian Foster in the wake of the 1-2 Test series defeat to Ireland.
Two defeats to Ireland have seen something of a crisis form in New Zealand, with two of Foster's assistants - Brad Mooar and John Plumtree - departing his coaching ticket as a result. And Australian Williams, who has coached the Waratahs and Leinster as well as Scotland, was quick to call the response of the New Zealand public 'shameful'.
In his latest column for the Irish Times, Williams wrote: “The pivotal match of the tournament may well be its first when New Zealand take on South Africa in Mbombela. Little known to the rugby world, Mbombela Stadium sits 110km west of the Mozambique border and 330km east of Johannesburg, which is about as distant physically and culturally from the Land of the Long White Cloud as you can get. Having visited Mbombela many years ago I can promise you, Paris it ain’t.
“The fact that Mbombela sits on the Crocodile River suggests – and here please excuse my cynicism – that the South Africans have organised a very public ambush, to heap more pain on the already wounded New Zealanders.
“This week former New Zealand World Cup-winning coach Steve Hansen harshly criticised New Zealand Rugby for its lack of public support for their team and its under-fire coach Ian Foster, who has suffered far more public criticism and humiliation than any coach should be forced to endure for a sporting defeat.
“Not for the first time, the reaction to defeat by the New Zealand media and their wider rugby community has exposed a deep flaw of character. The treatment of Foster by his own community has been nothing short of shameful. As a coach criticism comes with the badge but the personal vilification he has had to endure is simply not acceptable. Hansen also said the relationship between the New Zealand players and New Zealand Rugby is at an all-time low.
“After trampling all over Super Rugby, then alienating every national union in the south and possibly forcing the Springboks north, is it any wonder New Zealand Rugby and its team find themselves isolated and boxed into a corner created by their own self-serving actions?
“With such dreadful governance from Sanzaar, it is no accident that the northern nations have recovered so much ground on the south. Not even a victory against the Springboks next weekend will solve all of these deep concerns for New Zealand Rugby and Sanzaar. Mbombela Stadium has become the very unlikely venue for a Test match with stakes that have suddenly jumped far beyond just the opening round of the 2022 Rugby Championship.”
Read more:
Who Wales will actually have to beat to reach the Rugby World Cup final next year
Nigel Owens slams rugby's new red card trial
Wales rugby star shares support for his fiancée as she competes at Commonwealth
