In that column Mr Reason suggested that Welsh players George North and Samson Lee had been told to play on after North appeared to sustain a concussion following a second head injury and Lee went down on one knee to clear his head.
Fairfax Media and Reason accept that in assessing those two players and Leigh Halfpenny, the WRU medical personnel and the independent Match Day Doctors followed and applied the World Rugby Guidelines and Protocols in respect of concussion within the framework of knowledge that they had at the time and none of the players were told to play on by Warren Gatland nor were the WRU medical personnel told to clear them to play.
Fairfax Media and Reason apologise to Warren Gatland and the WRU medical personnel if that was the meaning attributed to the article and emphasise that it was not the meaning Reason intended. Fairfax Media acknowledges that the WRU arranged for independent Match Day Doctors and an independent Consultant Neurosurgeon to be on duty at the match which was not a World Rugby requirement. Fairfax Media accepts that the WRU, the WRU medical personnel and Warren Gatland acted in the best interests of their players and correctly applied the Guidelines and Protocols.
Fairfax Media also accepts that the WRU filed a comprehensive Incident Report following the Wales v England rugby match and that, having reviewed the Incident Report, World Rugby accepted the WRU followed correct protocols following the first incident involving North and acted within the framework of knowledge they had at the time in relation to the second incident involving North. There was no cover up as was suggested there might be in the Reason column.
Fairfax Media and Reason regret any distress Reason’s column caused to the WRU, Warren Gatland and the WRU medical personnel.
