THE closest I came to suffering a contact sport injury was when Gillian Walmsley thwacked my left knee hard with her hockey stick. It hurt.

We were both 15 at the time – long time ago – but it’s still a bit bigger than the right knee and sometimes clicks annoyingly when I’m walking down stairs.

Can’t remember whether she ever apologised, now that I look back. But why would she?

Bad things happen to reluctant hockey players – and I was never a fan.

Risk of coming a cropper in sport, or indeed in any aspect of life, is part of the deal.

If you can’t accept risk, stay in bed… but beware of the pressure sores.

So, what do we think of doctors and academics now urging the Government to ban tackles in rugby?

Don’t know about you, but they made me chuckle a little.

It seems they might have knee-jerked themselves into a deep pan of hot soup… right knee jerking, obviously.


Anne Pickles Gets you thinking though, doesn’t it? About how to avoid risk, I mean.

One supposes, should rugby be taken in isolation, they could all play to League rules, where – if I understand correctly – high tackles aren’t allowed. Not officially anyway.

A fair few wonky noses and cauliflower ears might suggest otherwise.

But in the minefield world of risk-avoidance regulation, one well-intentioned call for caution inevitably leads to another.

And that makes me worry for the future of hopscotch, skipping and kissing.

Lots of germs in kissing.

Many a nastily turned ankle has been suffered in ballroom dancing.

And as for boxing – that really doesn’t bear thinking about.

All this cotton wool thinking tends to be reminiscent of those badly confused days, not so long ago, when any sport producing winners and losers was frowned on.

Hurt feelings were deemed injurious too and failure to triumph could be painful for kids.

Competitive sports in schools suffered as a result.

Every aspect of life – from cradle to grave – carries risk of injury, disappointment or worse.

It is impossible to eliminate risk from the business of living.

What a bore it would be if we could.

Kids will climb trees, ride bikes, skate, sledge and slide on winter’s ice.

They’ll run too fast, play cricket with balls which would be a lot safer if softer.

They will mess around on riverbanks – and they will want to play contact sports, like rugby.

When all grown up – having avoided worst case scenarios – they may still want to play hard and live a little close to the edge.

Most likely they’ll learn to drive, risking life and limb every time they get behind the wheel.

If they don’t, they’ll trust to luck being on their side every time they ride a bus.

Get a grip.

Live a little, in acceptance that absolutely safety is never guaranteed for anyone, anywhere.

Gillian Walmsley, by the way, went on to be a doctor after her hockey-playing schooldays.

And if she’s one of those putting her name to this tackle-banning move – well, let’s say I will want to know why.