Anthony Watson Admits Gaming Concussion Test
England winger Anthony Watson admitted to "gaming" the Head Injury Assessment protocol during the 2017 Lions tour — memorizing required words to pass the test despite concussion symptoms. Watson said "I was concussed but remembered the words, so I passed" but acknowledged it was "the wrong call from a safety perspective." World Rugby is now trialing mouthguard sensors in Super Rugby to automatically detect high-impact collisions.
The Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocol that Anthony Watson admitted to "gaming" has been updated since the 2017 Lions tour. At the time, the test involved players recalling a set list of five words. Watson has stated he memorized the sequence "elbow-apple-carpet-saddle-bubble" which allowed him to pass the assessment despite suffering from concussion symptoms after a high tackle from All Black Sonny Bill Williams. Following the incident, Watson continued to play in the remainder of the second Test, which the Lions won 24-21, and also featured in the final drawn Test a week later. He admitted to having a "pretty mental headache" after the game but said he would not have done anything differently, citing the immense pressure of a Lions tour which only occurs every four years. In response to such incidents, World Rugby has since altered the HIA protocol. The memory assessment part of the test no longer uses a fixed list of words. Instead, a random sequence is generated for each assessment, making it impossible for players to memorize the answers in advance. Watson's admission, made in a recent documentary, has reignited the conversation around player welfare and the effectiveness of concussion protocols in elite rugby. The incident highlights the significant pressure on players to remain on the field in high-stakes matches and the potential for subjective elements of concussion testing to be manipulated.
