‘Injury is worth it’: Cardiff Uni rugby player responds to study on effect of sports injuries

After taking part in Cardiff University School of Engineering’s study to uncover how contact sports impact the female brain, Cleo Pallister-Turley, a member of Cardiff University’s women’s rugby team, told the Guardian: “Any injury would be worth the game for me.”

As I near the end of my year out from university due to a concussion that I sustained during a match for the women’s rugby team, there came a point where I also questioned whether the injury was worth the game.

Having played rugby for 13 years, I have experienced my fair share of broken bones and assumed, like those injuries, it would only be a few weeks out of the game. Unfortunately, this was not the case; it became apparent that this injury would have longer effects than I’d anticipated.

In my case, my head injury led to post-concussion syndrome, which meant transitioning from being an active athlete to balancing debilitating chronic migraines, fatigue, and various symptoms that led to receiving medical support.

via @Rollingspeedphotography Calum Carpenter

When you hear the term concussion, it is difficult to visualise what the effects are and what recovery from a head injury looks like. Head injuries are hidden; there are no casts, crutches, or a clear recovery timeline until you’re “back in the game.” Brain injuries can affect everyone differently, and according to the Guardian, there are various long-term risks to a man’s brain health after experiencing repeated blows to the head.

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However, we do not know the exact impact that head injuries have on the female brain. This is largely due to a lack of research in women’s sport, as it was revealed only six per cent of sport science research is specifically about female athletes.

Arguably, it isn’t a question of whether the sport you love is worth the injury, but whether we as female athletes are worth the research and investment to ensure safety in a game that we love.

Dr Peter Theobald and his team of medical engineers and researchers at Cardiff University say yes, by leading the way with their study into the effects of head injuries on women’s brains. Using a range of world-leading imaging, cognitive tests, and instrumented mouth guards, they aim to identify “precise brain health guidelines for women’s rugby” supported by scientific evidence.

This year has allowed me to reflect on whether sport is really “worth the injury.” Like Cleo, I would have to agree that “no other sports compare.” I would never regret playing the sport I love despite my head injury.

Nevertheless, athletes must weigh up whether their long-term or short-term health could be affected. Having the tools and information from this research would ensure that we are able to make those informed decisions.

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