Times Sport editor John Hutchins offers his personal opinion on the events, topics and personalities in the world of sport.

MY attention this week was drawn to the controversy involving rugby union player George North and his ‘apparent’ concussion during a televised match between his club, Northampton Saints and Leicester.

Rugby’s authorities have been condemned for applying no sanction to Northampton for their handling of George North’s head injury. The concussion review panel ruled that North, a Welsh and British and Irish Lion, should not have returned to play after a mid-air collision with an opposition player. Television pictures showed that North, who has a long history of suffering concussions, appeared to lose consciousness.

What must be worrying for all rugby players, professional or amateurs — the risks are common to both — is that North passed the Head ­Injury Assessment by the club’s medical staff, and was allowed to continue to play — allowing a player with a history of concussion to be exposed to further brain damage.

The effects on the health of an individual carrying on playing with any head injury, particularly in a highly physical contact sport like rugby, cannot be underestimated. I have no medical qualifications but it doesn’t take a ‘brain surgeon’ to know that even the slightest knock after such a concussion incident could prove not only dangerous but even fatal. That’s not even to mention the longer term effects on a players’ health. In the amateur game, in an incident like that the player would have been straight off, so why not in the professional game?

I realise that in a high impact sport such as rugby union or league there will always be risk or danger — its part of the game. Surely, though, even if the medical and legal issues are a grey area it is still the sporting organisation which should be responsible for having a ‘duty of care’ and find ways to protect its players as much as it can without knocking senseless the spirit of the game.