Courtney Lawes has backed calls for mandatory brain scans
England captain Courtney Lawes backs calls for mandatory brain scans after spending almost three months on the sidelines with nerve damage in his neck… forcing him to miss out on the entire autumn schedule
- England star Courtney Lawes has backed calls for mandatory brain scans
- The 33-year-old has been out of action for three months with a neck injury
- He made his return to club action last week for Northampton from the bench
Courtney Lawes has backed calls for mandatory brain scans after spending three months on the sidelines with nerve damage.
The England skipper has been out of action with a neck injury and will make his first start since September today in Northampton’s clash with Munster.
Lawes received the all clear after brain scans but has backed up Dylan Hartley’s recent plea in the Mail on Sunday for the procedure to become obligatory for every player.
England skipper Courtney Lawes (above) has backed calls for mandatory brain scans
‘They’re getting baselines for almost everything now, so why not a brain scan? It makes complete sense,’ said Lawes.
‘There’s a cost to it, but if we’re really interested in player welfare and making sure that once we leave the sport, we’re never going to be quite as good as when we went into it, but we’re there or thereabouts, that’s certainly good for the game.
The 33-year-old has been out of action for almost three months with nerve damage in his neck
As a result, Lawes (middle) missed out on the entire autumn international series
‘When I first started, nobody was worried about concussions. I just had the brain scan this year. It’s a contact sport, you’re going to get a lot of knocks to the head, if for nothing else, research purposes, it’s not a bad idea.’
Lawes, 33, is hoping to get Northampton’s Champions Cup campaign back on track today, with one eye on rediscovering his form ahead of the Six Nations.
He was England captain during the summer tour of Eddie Jones but now faces an uncertain future with a change of coach – and a decision to make about his club future beyond the end of the season.
Lawes made his return to club action last week for Northampton from the bench
‘My contract is not necessarily up this year, there’s options there,’ he said. ‘At the end of the day, I’ve got to do what’s best for myself and my family.
‘I’d love to stay at Saints, at the same time you’ve got to find what’s best for yourself and your family, like Dan Biggar has done.
‘That’s the most important thing, especially when you’re getting a bit older. I think I’ll probably get one more contract out of myself, then call it a day at the end of that.’
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