Body

The Six Nations Rugby Union tournament is in full swing and Europe’s best players are putting their bodies on the line in a bid for victory. Rugby’s a tough sport and sometimes it’s those players’ bodies that pay the price – injury lists from this year’s campaign prove it!

Today we’re having a look at some of the injuries that regularly crop up with rugby players. If you play the game yourself you’ll probably recognise most of the problems we’ve picked out, but if you’re new to rugby then hopefully this guide will help you avoid the worst consequences of any knock you take on the pitch.

While you sometimes can’t avoid an injury in sport, a bit of knowledge and some good medical insurance go a long way to helping you get back on your feet.

Head injury

Stricken Six Nations player: French flanker Wenceslas Lauret missed the opening game of France’s Six Nations after suffering a concussion.

Whether it’s getting down and driving for the line or diving in for a tackle, you often put you’re your head into dangerous positions when you’re playing rugby. Unfortunately this means head knocks are common, and although concussions can come in different severities, they should all be treated seriously.

If you take a knock you should stop playing and get some medical advice. Don’t spend time alone and make sure you avoid contact and collision for at least three weeks. When you do get back to playing, remember to take it easy and watch the head – repeated concussions might mean it’s time to hang up your boots for good.

Hamstring strain

Stricken Six Nations player: Irish fly half Jonathon Sexton went off against England with a suspected Hamstring tear.

Hamstrings are the tough tendons that anchor the muscles down the back of your thigh to your bone – although the name hamstring can also be applied to these muscles themselves. Sudden lunging, running or jumping can cause the hamstring to tear, so it’s a pretty common rugby injury.

If you feel your hamstring go, elevate your leg and get some ice on the affected area. For the first few days you should put ice on the injury for ten minutes every couple of hours to minimize the swelling. Most hamstring injuries will heal themselves given time to rest but for serious tears, surgery might be an option.

Sprained ankle

Stricken Six Nations player: The start of England centre Manu Tuilagi’s campaign was disrupted by an ankle injury.

When rugby players sidestep, quickly change direction or get crushed in a big tackle sometimes the ankle often suffers more than anything else. There are lots of ligaments holding bones together in the ankle joint and if they take a sharp wrench or jerk then these can be damaged, causing a sprain.

The first two or three days after getting a sprained ankle are vital to a swift recovery. If you’ve gone down with a bad ankle twist there are some things that you should do, and some things that you should avoid. Do pay the PRICE (Protect, Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate). But avoid further HARM (Heat, Alcohol, Running, Massage).

Damaged thumb

Stricken Six Nations player: Wales flanker Ryan Jones missed the start of the campaign with a thumb injury.

From running with the ball in hand, to tackling and rucking, the hands are at the heart of a lot of the action in rugby and that means that the thumb can often be damaged. The thumb accounts for 50 per cent of hand function so damaging it can be a really frustrating experience.

As with other injuries, treatment varies based on the severity of the damage Mild sprains might need nothing more than strapping and a rest to clear up, while severe fractures and breaks could need the application of a hard cast or even surgery. As with all of the injuries, if you keep on feeling pain in your thumb get it checked out by a professional.

Shoulder injury

Stricken Six Nations player: Wales skipper Sam Warburton suffered a shoulder injury against Ireland in the opening game of the tournament.

When rugby players go in for a big hit or drive all their forward energy is often directed straight through their shoulder. This extreme force on the shoulder area can lead to an injury.

If you hurt your shoulder in a game, get ice on it as soon as you can. As with many other injuries, the key to a speedy recovery is preventing inflammation at this early stage and ice is perfect for this. If you experience pain and want to get something from the chemists, ibuprofen is the best over the counter medicine for you as it has anti-inflammatory properties. If the injury is a little worse, a course of physiotherapy or even surgery may be required.

Do you play rugby? Are any of these injuries familiar to you?

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East Kent

There are a number of places in the south-eastern corner of England which are well worth a visit, the most familiar of which is the town of Dover. The famous white cliffs are truly spectacular, and the seaside resorts of Ramsgate and Folkestone are both within easy reach. If you are a fan of historic buildings, be sure to visit Canterbury, because the cathedral is one of the most spectacular religious buildings in the whole world.

Somerset Coast

If you mention the West Country to most Britons, and indeed most tourists, they will invariably think of the counties of Devon and Cornwall, but Somerset should also be on the must-visit list. The coastline is home to some beautiful beaches, many of which are exceptionally peaceful even in the summer months. If you like to be among the crowds, head to the resorts of Weston-Super-Mare and Minehead.

Gower Peninsula

Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower peninsular of South Wales.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are some wonderful holiday destinations in Wales, but those who know the Gower Peninsula rarely go anywhere else. It’s located in the south of the principality, close to Swansea, and it offers some of the finest seascape vistas anywhere in Britain. As well as a succession of impressive beaches, there are also some spectacular castles, including Pennard and Bovehill.

Glasgow

A famous city such as Glasgow could never truly be described as hidden, of course, but it’s certainly not on the usual tourist schedule for most people. City breaks are exceptionally popular in London and Edinburgh, but Scotland’s largest and busiest city is home to a number of fascinating museums and art galleries, as well as a whole host of historic buildings.

A view over Glasgow from Queen’s Park in the city’s south side. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Norfolk Broads

The Norfolk Broads are exceptionally popular with visitors from the UK, but not too many overseas visitors make their way to this collection of attractive waterways and chocolate-box villages. There are plenty of exceptional accommodation options to be found in the area, but many people choose to hire a boat and stay on the water for a few days instead. Though busy in the summer, there is always enough room for everyone.

Author: David Showell lives in England and is a regular traveller. Follow him on Google+.

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In the middle ages, this concept was improved upon and became more advanced. Intersections in many European countries had signs which pointed to certain cities, at times even listing the distance to towns. Europeans once again improved upon the concept in the late 19^th century- this time it was the Italian Touring Club who made the next improvement to signage. The organisation was founded in 1894 to promote the values of cycling and tourism. The Italian Touring Club was integral in improving the quality of road signs by petitioning for better road signs for drivers in 1895.

Another improvement made in the 19^th century was the material road signs were made from. Up to the early 1800s, road signs were made from wood and used lead paint. Metal eventually was used in its place, making the material last considerably longer. Reflective paint was also used to improve night time visibility.

These improvements in the 19^th century coincided with the introduction of the automobile, when better road signage was vital. In 1908 the International Road Congress got together in Rome to regulate the usage and set the basic road sign patterns. They eventually agreed on four pictorial symbols.

Between 1928 and 1949 a standardised system of international road signage was heavily worked on, which produced the European Road sign system. It wasn’t until 1964 that the UK adopted a version of the European Road sign system.

To this day, the UK is the only member of the European Union to use Imperial Measurements and the only highway network. All road signs in England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man are regulated by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions since 1964. Six amendments have been made to this system since its introduction, most recently in 2008 and 2011.

Despite the differences in road signage around the world, it is still easy enough to interpret what a road sign says regardless of the language or country. Some signs, such as those in Wales have been made bi-lingual to make navigation slightly easier. Thanks to the standardisation of road signs, navigating an unfamiliar area is a breeze. Strict guidelines by several different government committees have been put in place to make sure that shape, units of measurement, colours and lettering are all standardised and easily recognisable. They have also been improved from the earlier reflective paint and are now made from retroflective materials to make sure drivers are able to see them in the dark and in poor weather conditions.

The next time you travel the A1 or the highway try to remember the long history of road signage which is now neglected by drivers the world over.

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