Sevens: Play hard but safe, says ACC

The Bayleys National Sevens tournament is this weekend.

Players taking part in this weekend's Bayleys National Sevens tournament in Rotorua are being given a message from one of their key sponsors.

ACC is a supporting sponsor of this year's tournament and is warning players on the rugby field, the best technique also happens to be the safest technique - so playing safe doesn't mean you'll be a less effective player.

"We're a strong sporting nation and that's great, because sports deliver so many benefits, such as improved fitness and wellbeing," said ACC's programme manager sport, Isaac Carlson.

"But the popularity of sports in New Zealand is also reflected in injury statistics, with almost 400,000 sports and recreation related ACC claims received annually. "We're certainly not telling Kiwis to ease up on their sports.

"Our message is to keep playing, but make sure you follow some basic injury prevention guidelines. That way, you'll be able to get the most out of your sport, and not experience the time out and disruption to your life than can result from an injury."

ACC will operate a hydration station over the weekend at Rotorua International Stadium, offering free water and injury prevention tips to attendees.

Given the sevens is a rugby event, ACC will also focus on promoting the RugbySmart injury prevention initiative, developed in collaboration with New Zealand Rugby.

"RugbySmart is all about educating coaches and players on correct preparation for the physical demands of rugby, and correct technique, especially in contact areas such as tackles, scrums, rucks and mauls."

As well as this, RugbySmart encourages the use of safety gear such as mouthguards, and covers what to do if you do get injured, to ensure you're back on your feet as quickly and as safely as possible.

Mr Carlson said that linking effective play to safe play might seem odd in a contact sport such as rugby but he insisted you can't be a good player without good technique, and all good players know that correct technique was also safe technique.

The success of RugbySmart has been well documented. Since its introduction in 2001, serious injuries such as spinal cord problems have fallen from over 10 a year to less than three.

New Zealand Rugby has made it compulsory for all coaches and referees to attend RugbySmart workshops.