Rugby union, better known simply as rugby, is a team sport that enjoys huge popularity around the world. The Rugby World Cup happens every four years, and it draws a television audience of close to a billion people. Even at amateur levels, there are various tournaments and friendly competitions that take place between colleges, schools, and local communities in rugby-playing countries.
As a sport, rugby is highly enjoyable and also invigorating. If you have any plans to play rugby during an upcoming trip abroad, it is bound to be full of thrill and excitement. But you must not forget that rugby, as a full-contact sport, is among the riskiest sports in the world. Purchasing rugby travel insurance canprovide you the peace of mind you need to enjoy the sport to the fullest while on vacation.
Travel Insurance for Rugby
You might very well find hospitalization in a foreign country an agonizing experience. The strain on your mind and wallet would be massive. Travel insurance for rugby offsets at least the financial risk. In case your travel insurance doesn’t include coverage for rugby (and most standard plans don’t include hazardous sports), you’ll need a special rider in your plan to provide coverage for playing rugby. Purchase travel insurance for rugby, and enjoy your game with peace of mind.
Basics of Rugby
Each team consists of 13 to 15 players fighting for the possession of the ball. No one is ready to give in without a fight, sometimes literally. There is a spirit of intense competitiveness that goads each player to do better than the others.
Only one team can win the game, but every player stands to gain a lot from a rugby match. All that sprinting, pushing, and tackling works wonders for your cardiovascular fitness, agility, and total body strength. It also helps improve skills like coordination, teamwork, and self-discipline.
But on the flip side, rugby is a high-risk game. It’s a full-contact sport in which players tackle each other for possession of the ball and position on the field. The atmosphere is electric, and it’s easy to make a quick move that could escalate into a collision. While it is all in the spirit of the game, a mistimed tackle could have serious consequences for one or both the players involved. That’s why travel insurance for rugby is essential, because it protects you from the financial burden of any injuries that occur during play.
Risks of Playing Rugby
Common rugby injuries include broken bones, dislocated fingers and joints, abrasions, deep cuts and bruises, and broken noses (since players don’t wear helmets). Concussions are also not unheard of.
Also, the necessary sprinting and pivoting over both the short- and long-term can do considerable damage, like:
- Tendonitis of the knees and ankles
- Shin splints
- Muscle strains or contusions
- Sprains
Of course, not all of these injuries are serious. They are treatable with proper medical attention. But they do have the potential to becoming long-term irritants that would prevent you from playing rugby in the future. So, in addition to maintaining proper physical fitness before you join a friendly game of rugby, you should also get rugby travel insurance. This would help cover the costs of medical treatment abroad and allow you to focus much more mental effort on recovery.