Improving rugby’s safety is not just an issue for the professional game. What happens at the sport’s top end drips down, so when you see issues like former star players suffering with the effects of head injuries, it has an impact at grassroots level.There is concern among parents about the risks of allowing their children to play rugby, knowing what we do about the dangers of concussion. So it is absolutely paramount to make the game safer at schools, colleges and clubs across the country.If rugby doesn’t do that, there won’t be a next generation of players coming through and the sport will die. None of us who love rugby want that to happen. One of the questions I get all the time is: ‘Would you allow your grandchildren to play rugby?’ The answer I always give is that yes, I would, as long as I know they would be safe.In rugby, you can never discount the risk of injury because it is a contact sport. It’s physical and uncompromising. But as long as the safety procedures are adhered to, there is no reason why children shouldn’t play.My local club, Maidenhead, are very good in this area – they have trained first-aiders and concussion specialists on the sidelines at matches. Technology plays a part, too. I was interested to learn of Luca Health, a company that has developed a platform to baseline, report, track and then treat players when they suffer a head injury and a possible concussion.It is already being used by a host of grassroots clubs as well as schools across England, including Northampton School for Boys (NSB), who in the season just finished were crowned national champions at Under-15 and Under-18 level. When you see issues like former star players suffering with the effects of head injuries, it has an impact at grassroots level Northampton School for Boys, a state school upending the private-dominated national system, are using a pioneering new app that tracks and monitors head injuriesHere’s how it works. If a player suffers a head injury on the field, the Luca app allows that incident to be recorded immediately by a coach or teacher. The player and their parents, if necessary, are then notified immediately and a clinician appointment is set up for further assessment. Everything is documented within the app – including treatment – before the player can then make a safe return to action.Luca is also being used at schools or colleges in Bryanston, Mount Kelly and Worksop, among others, and at grassroots clubs Towcestrians and Witney. In 2026, with all the equipment available, it is exactly these sorts of developments which I believe can be a gamechanger for rugby. I’d love to see them being used more widely.‘We wanted to ensure every player and student has a positive rugby experience, even at times of injury, and to support them as best we can if they have a concussion,’ NSB’s director of rugby Phil Beaumont tells Daily Mail Sport.‘We were really impressed with Luca putting the player at the centre of what they do. That very much aligned with our values. It’s high-quality, specialist medical support. It’s been hugely beneficial to make sure everyone is aligned and the players don’t return to play earlier than they should.’It’s worked well for us across multiple sports, not just rugby. It’s really efficient and allows coaches to have confidence they are following the right processes and asking the right questions around medical support. It also helps reassure players and their parents the right decisions are being made. We hugely value player welfare at NSB. It’s at the centre of everything we do.’NSB are successful on the field and ripping up the idea that to win in English schoolboy rugby you have to be a paid-for establishment. But they are also leading the way off it, with their player management.I hope this sort of work can lead to a greater understanding among the general public that playing sport can bring so much good to young children and that with technological advancements, it can be as safe as we can possibly make it too.It is also important that as a sport, rugby continues to identify whether or not there are differences in how head injuries impact men and women. A Cardiff University study is currently looking into how repeated head impacts affect female players. NSB are also leading the way off the pitch in schools rugby with their player management It is also important that the sport continues to identify whether or not there are differences in how head injuries impact men and women It is paramount to make rugby safer at schools, colleges and clubs. If the sport doesn’t do that, there won’t be a next generation of players coming through and it will dieThese are all positive steps for rugby and while it will never be the case that the job is done, the future can be bright.‘There is undoubtedly more awareness now. There have been fantastic developments,’ Beaumont says. ‘The education piece around concussion has been fantastic for children who play contact sports. As a school, we ensure every player has been actively signposted towards the RFU’s concussion awareness module.’We want the parents to be comfortable with their children playing contact sports. Rugby is optional at NSB and we have 420 students choosing to represent the school in it. What we’ve tried to create at NSB is a successful rugby environment, but also one where injury prevention and support is at the centre.’That has a positive impact because it means our boys want to play rugby and also want to stay at the school, even if they get offered scholarships elsewhere.’