Perth Concussion Directory

Concussion information and care across Perth, WA

Concussion in rugby union: Perth guide

Reviewed November 2026 by Online Concussion Clinic, a Perth-based telehealth concussion physiotherapy service. How this site is run

Rugby Australia sets the concussion rules for community rugby union, including RugbyWA club and junior rugby in Perth. The minimum stand-down depends on the player's age.

The rules at a glance

  • Recognise, remove, record, refer. A player with a suspected concussion leaves the field and doesn't return that day.
  • Blue Card. In under-13 and older matches, the referee shows a Blue Card to a player removed with a suspected concussion. This starts the off-field process.
  • Get assessed by an appropriately trained health practitioner, such as a doctor or physiotherapist.
  • Minimum stand-down: 21 days for players 18 and under, and 12 days for adults 19 and over.
  • Doctor clearance. Final clearance to return must come from a medical doctor, recorded on the Referral and Return form. Until it's done, the player can't return to full-contact training or matches.

The graded return to rugby

Every player works through the same stages, moving up only when the current stage causes no new or worse symptoms. Each stage takes at least 24 hours.

  1. Relative rest for the first 24–48 hours, then light daily activity.
  2. Light aerobic exercise such as walking or an exercise bike, at an easy pace.
  3. Return to school or work without symptoms — this comes before return to sport.
  4. Running and individual skills, with no contact and no risk of a head knock.
  5. Non-contact team training at higher intensity.
  6. Full contact training — only after clearance (see above).
  7. Return to games, no earlier than the minimum timeframe for your sport.

If symptoms come back at any stage, drop back to the last stage that felt fine and try again after 24 hours. A physiotherapist or doctor with concussion training can guide this and adjust it for you.

Perth and WA clubs

RugbyWA clubs follow the Rugby Australia Concussion Management Procedure, and clearances are managed through Rugby Xplorer. Your club can tell you who looks after concussion cases.

Call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department if there is:

  • Loss of consciousness, or getting drowsier or harder to wake
  • A seizure or convulsion
  • Severe or worsening headache
  • Repeated vomiting
  • Neck pain or tenderness
  • Double vision or loss of vision
  • Weakness, tingling or burning in the arms or legs
  • Increasing confusion, agitation, restlessness or unusual behaviour
  • A visible deformity of the skull

For children, the emergency department at Perth Children's Hospital (Nedlands) is open 24 hours. If you're unsure, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (24 hours) for nurse advice.

Who can help in Perth

Clearance has to come from a doctor, but a concussion physiotherapist can assess you, run your graded return, treat dizziness, neck pain and headache, and work alongside your GP or sports doctor.

Browse verified concussion providers across Perth, or find one by area. You don't need a referral to see a physiotherapist privately.

Where this information comes from

Sport rules are updated regularly, usually before each season. This page was checked in November 2026 — always check the current policy with your club, league or school. This page is general information, not medical advice.

Other sports

More concussion information