Dr Lindsay Starling is Science and Medical Manager at World Rugby, where she connects research, policy and practice to advance player welfare. With a PhD focused on head injuries in rugby, she has led injury surveillance and research initiatives across international rugby organisations and continues to support evidence-based approaches to injury prevention.
Focus:
This presentation will provide a strategic overview of the evolution of concussion management in able-bodied rugby, highlighting the key milestones that have shaped current practice. It will explore how approaches have progressed across the system, including developments in injury surveillance, pitch-side assessment protocols, graduated return-to-play frameworks, education strategies, governance structures, and law adaptations.
A central focus will be on implementation, examining how research has translated into policy, and how policy has been embedded into practice across different levels of the game. The session will consider the factors that have enabled or challenged adoption, including stakeholder engagement, global dissemination, technology integration, and monitoring of effectiveness.
Finally, the presentation will reflect on how elements of this journey may be transferable to para-sport and wheelchair rugby contexts, while also aligning with World Rugby’s current strategic priorities and future directions for research and player welfare.