In February 2024, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) announced the new National Concussion Guidelines for community sport, which bring a consistent standard for recognising and treating concussion.
The guidelines, which came into effect this winter sport season, are designed to improve the health outcomes and wellbeing for people who play community sport by introducing a standardised approach to managing concussion.
They provide principles and general advice for the sport community and health professionals to recognise and treat concussion in a consistent way.
The key changes are: (1) When a player suffers a concussion, they must have a minimum period of 21 days away from full competition and (2) medical clearance must be obtained prior to return to play.
Using these guidelines, and with the help of High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), Yachting New Zealand has further developed a series of resources to help yacht clubs and class associations identify the symptoms of concussion, as well as provide information on what to do in the case of a suspected concussion.