Rennie defends about Clarke concussion figures

Craig Clarke

Chiefs coach of New Zealand rugby Dave Rennie has defended over the implications of Chiefs medical staff and claimed they took necessary risks with former captain Craig Clarke.

Clarke signed a three-year deal with Connacht after leaving the Chiefs in 2013 having secured their second Super Rugby title in two years.

It is reported that Clarke is  indefinitely  out of rugby after suffering 10th concussion in 22 months.

But Rennie indicates that the Chiefs medical staff hasn't done a good enough job and those numbers was wrong.

"I don't think it's accurate to be honest and it's surprising to hear that figure," Rennie says.

"He had three (concussions) when he was here with us. The last one he was out for six weeks."

"We did everything by the book and there are other agencies outside of the organization that assist players who are concussed."

Rennie is ruling in his third season at the back-to-back defending champions and expects  players need to be concussion free when they return to play.

He said also, "Each player is about rugby medication and everything that happens to a player during the year is tracked so it's certainly an area that is stringent within New Zealand rugby."

"Obviously we need him (Clarke) for our team and we hope he will come right soon".