North on ‘horrible weight’ of concussion debate

Wales rugby legend George North has revealed the “horrible weight” he had to carry after a series of head injuries made him “the poster boy” for debate around concussion, but believes his ordeal improved understanding of the issue.

Ten years have passed since the winger suffered four serious blows to the head in a five-month period, forcing him to take an extended break from the game.

Controversy over the management of brain injuries continues to hang over the sport, and Wales’ second highest try-scorer has now opened up about the intense scrutiny he came under.

“My name for some reason became partnered with concussion, and at the time it’s very hard because you have a lot of people commenting and writing articles, a lot of doctors commenting,” North told BBC Sport.

“But it actually highlighted concussion – brought it to the forefront. Much better protocols are in place now off the back of it.”

In a wide-ranging interview, the 33 year-old, who plays for Provence in the French second division, said:

North was first concussed playing for Wales against New Zealand in November 2014.

He was struck twice on the head while playing against England during the Six Nations the following year, with the Wales coaching staff criticised after he remained on the pitch.

He suffered a fourth head injury while appearing for club side Northampton Saints in April 2015, forcing him to stop playing for six months before being assured he was fit enough to return for the 2015 World Cup.

Having been reluctant to speak about the episode, North has now written an autobiography in which he reveals that in the aftermath of the head injuries he struggled with his balance, “felt a constant pressure” in his head and could not do the washing up, leading him to consider walking away from the sport.

“I didn’t want to talk about it because it was not a very good time in my career and my life”, he said.

“If there’s any positive of carrying that load for a bit, it’s brought it to a point where we are much more aware and know how to deal with it.

“At the time there was very little information in terms of knowing about recovery, the return to play protocol, so that’s why it was probably hard as well.”

North stays in touch with the specialist that helped him recover, and says he has “no worries” about suffering any long-term cognitive effects thanks to exercises he continues to do to preserve his brain and mental health.

Asked what he thought about a landmark concussion lawsuit against the rugby authorities involving hundreds of former players, and whether he would consider joining it, North said: “I feel for every player on that list, obviously, but I can only really answer what my experience is.

“I have the utmost confidence and trust in the medical team that I worked with.

“The processes that we went through – we probably went over-cautious on some aspects of it because, first and foremost, my health was the most important.

“I wouldn’t want to comment on other people’s conditions, but all I know is that with the medical staff, my family, my friends, myself, we only ever did what was best and what was right for me, and that’s something that I feel very strongly on.”

Having scored two tries on his Wales debut aged 18 in 2010, North went on to play 121 times before his international retirement last year, making him the third most capped player in the country’s history.

He was at the heart of a golden era for the team, winning two Grand Slams and reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2011 and 2019.

Wales briefly slipped to a record low of 14th in the world rankings in July after suffering a record run of 18 straight Test defeats in 21 months.

“It’s not been fun,” he says. “But sometimes you have to go through [this] to reset and refocus and go again.

“You’ve got (head coach) Steve Tandy coming in now. We’re in good hands to push forward.

“We’re currently going through a tough rebuild and it’s going to take a bit of time.”

The Welsh club game is also facing a major overhaul with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) in a consultation period for controversial plans that threaten to cut the number of professional men’s teams from the current four of Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets to two.

The Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) has said the proposals for the elite game would “drive talent to leave Wales”.

North, who had spells at Scarlets and Ospreys, said: “In a perfect world we’d have four regions, but is it sustainable? Probably not at the moment.

“Whether we go to two or three, we probably need a change to rejig the system, to start the ball rolling again.

“When you’re winning it covers the cracks. There were issues that I was hearing when I first got capped, and those same issues were circling in different formats by the end of my career.

“I get asked all the time about having a team in north Wales and, obviously, as a passionate north Walian, I would always say ‘100%’.

“But I think the bigger picture is we have to do what’s right for Welsh rugby, and to get the national team back at that level where we’re performing and competing.”

North, who is married to former Team GB Olympic cyclist Becky James and has two sons, is impressed by a proposed rebel breakaway league targeting some of the sport’s top players.

R360, which has been fronted by former England centre Mike Tindall, plans to launch next year, promising bumper contracts, a globe-trotting itinerary and new revenue streams, although there is uncertainty over whether it will be sanctioned by World Rugby.

“Rugby is not in a particularly great spot at the moment in terms of grassroots, finances, debt that’s within the clubs,” says North.

“So having this new product that’s coming out to help generate more money and interest in the game is brilliant.

“It’s only going to benefit the game having another stream and another point to bring new people in to make the game exciting.”