George North injury incident being discussed by Northampton, RFU and Premiership
Friday 9 December 2016 14:51, UK
Premiership Rugby and the RFU met officials from Northampton on Friday, in a bid to discover the full facts regarding George North's recent injury.
The winger suffered a head injury while playing against Leicester in the Premiership last weekend.
Despite appearing to be knocked unconscious following a tackle by Adam Thompstone, pitch-side doctors allowed the 24-year-old to continue playing in the match after an assessment.
However, TV replays seemingly showed him lying motionless on the ground before he recovered to pass a mandatory assessment - with rules dictating that any player with confirmed or suspected concussion should be permanently removed from a game.
The Concussion Management Review Group (CMRG) has the power to recommend a misconduct charge against a club, or an individual, if it is deemed that rules were not followed.
North has suffered a number of concussion injuries in recent years, which led to an enforced five-month absence from the game between November 2014 and March 2015.
Northampton responded a few days ago by saying TV viewers often have a fuller range of replay angles than doctors present at a match, and Lions coach Warren Gatland says he has some sympathy for the club's medical staff.
The New Zealander told Sky Sports News HQ earlier in the week: "The first thing is forget about the rugby. His health is the most important thing, and his long-term health.
"There has been a lot of research done about the potential impact of contact sports and head injuries.
"He needs to forget about playing for Northampton at the moment and Wales in the Six Nations. He needs to get his health and make sure he sees the right people until he does get the all clear."
Premiership Rugby and the RFU are expected to issue a statement on the North incident early next week.
