The Rugby Championship between the All Blacks, Wallabies, Springboks and Pumas will incorporate new rules for player concussions.
The four-nation tournament that kicks off next week with New Zealand taking on Australia in Sydney will include the following pitch-side concussion assessment protocols:
* The referee, match doctor or team doctor will all have the right to make the call on whether an injured player leaves the field
* The referee will signal a player's removal by touching his head three times with his hand
* Once off the field, the team and match doctors will begin assessment, which incorporates questions and observations
* If a player fails any aspect, he will not be able to return to the field of play and his substitution becomes permanent.
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