Fiji Rugby Takes Strides in Player Safety

Fiji Rugby organized a Level 2 – World Rugby – Immediate Care in Rugby Workshop which ended today including 12 medical professionals from the South-Eastern Division.

The workshop, spearheaded by Jennifer Khalik, a distinguished World Rugby Medical Trainer, was aimed to accredit medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists, in providing immediate and effective care to injured players.

The focus of the workshop was to equip medical practitioners with the necessary skills and knowledge to safely handle injuries during rugby matches, with a specific emphasis on grassroots competitions such as the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Competition and Provincial games.

Khalik said, “While there is already adequate coverage for national teams, the initiative aims to extend the same level of care to local competitions.”

She stated that there is a critical role medical professionals play in ensuring the safety of players so the workshop’s goal of accrediting professionals to work not only at international rugby matches but also at local competitions, thus fostering a safer environment for players at all levels.

“Everything here is about safety, so making sure that when a player gets injured, they are safely managed before they get to the hospital so that their injuries don’t get worse,” stated Jennifer Khalik.

“Also, the other thing is for these guys to be able to pick up medical emergencies, something that could be life-threatening and managed in a very systematic way so that the players have a high chance of survival.”

The workshop witnessed a positive response from medical professionals, reflecting a keen interest in enhancing their capabilities for the betterment of the sport.

“As a trainer, the standard we want to achieve is to ensure all our local competitions have ICIR (Immediate Care in Rugby) accredited people at every single game,” said Khalik.

“We want to be able to have one ICIR doctor or nurse starting from the Kaji level all the way up to the provincial level and have at least a team of Level 1 trained personnel supporting them,” she adds.

Fiji Rugby’s commitment to prioritizing player safety and fostering a culture of excellence in medical care is evident through initiatives like these workshops.

There will be another similar workshop conducted in Nadi at the end of this month.