Austin Healey: We must protect the sport of rugby union as well as the players

Rugby is a sport that features lots of high-impact collisions with big people running into each other at speed.

You cannot make that safe.

Tackles will be mistimed, accidents will happen and players are going to get hurt as a result.

That element of risk needs to be prudently managed, but cannot be eliminated altogether.

Eliminate risk and you destroy rugby’s very fabric.

Part of the reason we play rugby is that feeling of living on the edge.

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