All Black Sam Cane has taken time out to spread awareness around concussions and head injuries in rugby, sharing a personal and chilling story of his own to really get the point across.
The Chiefs flanker, who is close to a Super Rugby return after breaking his neck last year, spoke to students at South Auckland's Alfriston College with Stuff attending recently.
To drive home the seriousness of the topic, Cane recounted a time he was concussed in Super Rugby and how it led him to forget a play he and the Chiefs had been practicing all week at training.
"It was five or six years ago and I got concussed playing the Crusaders in Christchurch," Cane said.
"We went to a lineout and Brodie Retallick made the call. I went up to him and said 'what's that play?' He said 'you know the one' … it was a special play that involved me, and one we'd been practising all week.
"Apparently, I said to him, 'I don't know it, talk me through it'. At that point he knew I wasn't quite right and was no good to him or the team and was also putting myself at risk by carrying on playing. He let the physio know and they pulled me off then and there.
"Who knows, if I'd played on however long and taken another bang … two knocks in one game is seriously not good. I'm thankful Brodie did what he did."
Cane used the anecdote to emphasise that it takes courage on a rugby field to admit you or a teammate have been affected by a concussion and put your health first.
"In my short time playing professionally the whole attitude around concussion has changed.
"Guys put their hand up and say they're not quite right because they've seen the risks and damage it's done some of their team-mates who have been forced to retire.
"We're trending in the right direction."
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