NRL Changes Training Rules to Protect Players

Topic: Rugby League

The NRL is limiting contact training time for men and women.

In short:

The NRL has new safety rules for training.

Other sports have similar rules.

The AFL does not have contact restrictions yet.

The NRL wants to reduce injuries, including concussions.

All 17 NRL and 12 NRLW clubs have been told about the new rules.

The rules aim to reduce injuries, including brain injuries.

NRL players can do no more than 100 minutes of contact training per week.

NRLW players can do no more than 85 minutes of contact training per week.

All training includes wrestling.

NRL and NRLW have limits on contact training.

New preseason rules limit contact training to 200 minutes per week for men and 115 minutes for women.

Experts have called for contact restrictions to protect players from concussions.

World Rugby and the NFL have already implemented contact restrictions.

There were no limits on contact training in the NRL and NRLW before.

Contact training has increased a lot in the past 20 years.

Do you know more?

Preseason is usually the most physical part of the year, but now there are guidelines.

The new guidelines encourage moderation.

Men's preseason contact training is limited to 100 minutes per week.

The NRL says clubs should follow the guidelines.

NRLW clubs have been told to limit contact training during preseason.

There is a protocol for introducing contact training.

On the first day of preseason, there is no physical contact.

On days two to five, training is limited to non-contact drills.

The NRL says the guidelines are to protect players.

The guidelines are based on research.

The guidelines for NRLW are based on a survey and analysis.

The guidelines might change.

Clubs will log contact training, but it's not clear how the rules will be enforced.

The NRL is following other sports that have restricted contact training.

The NFL reduced contact training in 2011 and has paid out $1 billion for brain injuries.

World Rugby restricted contact training in 2021.

World Rugby has guidelines for professional teams, including limits on full-contact training.

Players like Luke Keary have called for contact restrictions.

Keary said the NRL should have done this five years ago.

The NRL introduced efforts to monitor concussions in 2024.

Clubs must film every contact training session to analyze concussion risks.

CTE has been found in the brains of rugby league players.

The AFL still has not reduced contact training.

Shane Tuck died by suicide and was found to have CTE.

A coroner recommended the AFL restrict contact training.

The AFL is tracking contact training data and might limit training minutes in 2027.

The AFL says there is no correlation between contact training and team performance.

If you need help:

The AFL is facing a class action from 100 players who claim they have brain injuries.

Many AFL players will no longer be covered for brain injuries by insurance.

Zurich Insurance says there is uncertainty around the magnitude of CTE.

An NRL club source expects the new guidelines to be well-received.

The source says the guidelines will be accepted if done sensibly.

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