Sport-Specific Extensions
The UK grassroots course supplies one common safety foundation. These extensions put the same principles into the sporting environments GWAS actually supports, without duplicating the core course.
Polo & Equestrian
Falls from height, horse–rider and rider–rider collisions, ball or mallet impacts, junior players and pressure to remount.
- Suspected concussion means removal from riding and no same-day remount or return.
- Treat significant mechanism, neck pain or neurological change conservatively and escalate when indicated.
- A helmet does not rule out concussion; assess the person and the mechanism.
- Junior riders require parent/guardian communication and responsible-adult supervision.
- For live HPA assessment, follow the current HPA protocol: qualified/non-medical trained assessors use CRT6 with the HPA HIA process, while appropriately trained medical staff use SCAT6 as required by HPA.
- The player's club must report suspected concussion to the HPA within 24 hours.
- Return to riding follows the graduated return principles and any stricter HPA/governing-body requirements.
Rugby & Contact Sport
Observed signs, player pressure, touchline decisions, junior sport and repeated contact mechanisms.
- Observed signs matter even when the player denies symptoms.
- Removal decisions should not be reversed because a player, coach or team is under competitive pressure.
- No same-day return after suspected concussion.
- Use the UK grassroots pathway unless the relevant governing body imposes stricter rules.
Cycling & Endurance
High-energy falls, indirect mechanisms, road-side decision-making and delayed symptom recognition.
- Concussion can occur without a direct head strike.
- Consider the whole mechanism and associated injuries rather than focusing only on the helmet.
- A participant with suspected concussion should not continue riding.
- Safe supervision and transport after removal are part of the plan.
General Grassroots Sport
A sport-neutral framework for schools, clubs, officials, volunteers and mixed-sport events.
- Recognise suspicion early.
- Remove safely and prevent same-day return.
- Refer to the appropriate level of healthcare or emergency response.
- Support recovery through the Graduated Return to Activity and Sport pathway.
The existing simulator already contains polo and riding cases. This hub now makes that pathway explicit and gives us a clean place to add HPA/EFAW+ material later without changing the universal grassroots course.