One can deduce from reading "8 Man Pick Up" volumes 1 and 2 that Kort Schubert has seen his fair share of the unforgiving contact sport we call rugby. Along with the excitement and pure athletic exhilaration of rugby competition, comes soreness, pain and inevitable injury. Sometimes, the sidelines resemble bloody scenes from a horror movie if the match is particularly physical. This week we asked Kort to elaborate on the painful reality that accompanies long term rugby play at any level -- injuries.
RZ: The nature of rugby as a contact sport implies that rugby players will eventually have to deal with some sort of injury. What are some common injuries that you have seen on the field?
KS: Common injuries I’ve seen throughout my career are concussions, dislocated fingers/thumbs, facial cuts around the eyes and chin, broken noses, strained or torn ligaments to the knees and ankles, shoulder separations, broken collar bones, etc.
RZ: What is the strangest or most severe injury you have seen?
KS: During a game in Vancouver against the University of Colombia I saw a prop break his leg during a scrum. You could hear the pop and eventual squeals as the scrum disengaged and the player fell to the ground in obvious pain. I looked down and the bone had broken through his skin and his sock. The game was stopped for 30 minutes. Needless to say, he was stretchered off of the field. Another injury I witnessed first hand (you could probably say I caused it although unintentionally) was at a Cal practice. We were doing 1-on-1 scrum profile work. As the other player and I locked shoulders and began sinking into our ideal scrum position I hear this pop and my partner fell onto his back. When I looked up, I noticed that he had dislocated his knee, which looks a lot worse than it actually is although very painful. Still another injury I witnessed was with the National Team where a fellow flanker had dislocated his shoulder in a tackle. After sustaining the dislocation, the player looks to me to help him pop it back into place. So I began pulling on this poor guys arm with all of my strength. Eventually he was able to get the shoulder back into socket and continued playing. That player was one of the toughest I have ever had the honor of playing with.
RZ: We know you have had a couple of knee surgeries. Can you give us a quick rundown of the injuries that you have personally sustained as a player?
KS: I have been rather fortunate with the injuries I have sustained, the most recent knee injury having been caused by degenerative joints and wear and tear. Throughout my career I have broken bones in my foot and hand, strained my MCL, separated my sternum and AC joint, broke my nose, dislocated numerous fingers and my left knee cap, sustained numerous cuts to my face requiring stitches, and finally, had a cartilage transplant on my right knee.
RZ: What are the similarities or differences between injuries to rugby players and injuries to American Football or soccer players?
KS: The injuries sustained in rugby and football are very similar. You see a lot of knee injuries (i.e., torn MCLs, ACLs, Meniscus and Cartilage), shoulder injuries (separations, dislocations, ligament damage) and obviously concussions in both sports. Where I see the main difference in injuries is due to the obvious lack of padding in rugby. Shoulder injuries, for example are easier to sustain and worse when there is a bone on bone collision. In contrast, you are more likely to see football players intentionally throw their bodies like missiles into contact situations because they are wearing pads. If you do that in a rugby match, the likelihood of suffering an injury is much greater.
RZ: There is often a question with regards to whether a rugby player should sit out a match, or strap on the boots and go. How should a player decide whether needs to be sidelined due to injured or merely play with some pain?
KS: This is a dilemma every athlete will face in their career. The player should first seek the opinion of a club doctor and/or physiotherapist before making any decision.
Once the player has done this, whether they decide to play or sit out will depend on the circumstances surrounding the injury and the specific game they are playing in. Is the injury serious enough that if I play, I may/may not make it worse? How important is the match – is it a club friendly or a World Cup qualifier? Each player facing this dilemma must seriously address these types of questions in order to make an intelligent decision.
RZ: What are some of your methods that you have used in your career to help you deal with pain?
KS: The best advice I can give to players dealing with pain is to take care of your body. Even if you’re not technically injured, you should still take the necessary steps to ensure you are playing at your peak physical condition. For example, players should ice major joints (ankles, knees, and shoulders) after hard training sessions (i.e., ice bath) and always drink more fluid than you think you need to prevent muscle tears due to dehydration. It will seem tedious, but I can tell you that your body will thank you after years of playing.
-RugbyZone
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