Spinal injuries occupied the minds of almost 50 Leinster rugby coaches in Dublin yesterday. Following the efforts of two Trinity undergraduates from the School of Physiotherapy, who were concerned about the level of training rugby coaches received in dealing with serious injuries on the rugby pitch, a one-day course was organised.

What prompted the idea was a serious spinal injury suffered by a schools player last season. The injury encouraged the students to survey rugby coaches throughout Leinster on their ability to understand and deal with such potentially catastrophic injuries. Sixty-one per cent of the respondents did not know what to do. Thus yesterday's one-day seminar at St James Hospital on the prevention and management of serious neck injury was organised.

"When it came to knowledge of serious neck injuries they (the coaches) didn't have the correct knowledge required to deal with it," said Frances Moran, one of the organisers involved in the course. "It was felt that it was frightening and that something needed to be done about it."

Forty eight coaches were booked in to attend yesterday's session at St James Hospital which was run by the School of Physiotherapy at Trinity College in conjunction with the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists.

All schoolboy coaches in Leinster were invited to the course, which was fully backed and sponsored by the Irish Rugby Football Union, following the survey which drew an 80 per cent response.

The course covered the areas of prevention, predetermining factors, signs and symptoms as well as specific injuries related to the scrum, the tackle and loose play. Special attention was also given to strengthening programmes for the neck and the introduction of new protective gear.

Discussion was also directed towards tactics which may lessen the number of such injuries. One important fact to come out of the course is that most of these type of injuries occur during loose play and happen to backs.

The scrum, and the front row particularly, has traditionally been seen as the main source of concern, particularly for younger players, whereas tackling and competing for possession appears now to be an area which requires even closer attention.