FRESH fears have been raised about the dangers of children playing rugby after a new study revealed that nearly one in five injuries could be attributed to the sport.

A new study carried out by a former University of Edinburgh professor has revealed that almost 20 per cent of sporting injuries among ten to 19-year-olds in hospital casualty units are attributable to rugby.

The study, carried out by Professor Allyson Pollock, logged injuries in two accident and emergency wards in Oxfordshire over a two-year period. Of the 3,950 sports-related injuries recorded in that time, 690 were a result of injuries suffered in rugby union or league games, some of them serious.

Ms Pollock, who is now professor of public health research and policy at Queen Mary University of London, said research was needed across the whole of the UK but argued that the statistics gave a "good indication" of what was likely to be happening around the country. And she noted the figures from the study were worryingly high.

"It's a sport with a very high number of A&E attendances at great cost to the NHS and to young children," Ms Pollock said. "Some of the injuries are very serious.

"One of the problems is children try to mirror the professional players. They may look like they have muscle and bulk, but their brains are developing and their bones are still growing. That makes them very, very vulnerable."

However a spokesman for the Scottish Rugby Union has pointed out that there are already rules in place in Scotland to address the issue, with P1 to P3 children only playing touch rugby while those between P4 and P7 tackles must be below the waist.