- NRL has introduced new heat control measures for training
- Men’s player Keith Titmuss died of heat stroke in 2020
The NRL has introduced new guidelines on player safety during pre-season training which include taking players’ temperatures with rectal thermometers if they show signs of heat discomfort.
As NRL teams prepare for the 2025 season and return to the training paddock to test themselves, the NRL has introduced new heat control measures.
In 2020, Manly Sea Eagles star Keith Titmuss He lost consciousness immediately after a 139-minute training session at the team’s headquarters on Sydney’s northern beaches.
The 20-year-old was ruled to have died from exertional heat stroke (EHS) after an inappropriately difficult training session.
EHS can occur when a player is pushed too hard while training in a hot climate, raising his or her core temperature to a dangerous level.
This can cause hyperventilation, vomiting, fainting, seizures, and in some cases, death.
In the United States, EHS is one of the three leading causes of death in athletes during physical activity.
On Thursday, respected physiotherapist Brien Seeney, who runs the popular NRL Physio Twitter account, posted about the NRL’s new measures around heat checks.
The NRL has introduced new guidelines on player safety during pre-season training.
Seeney wrote: ‘The NRL has introduced new heat control measures for pre-season training in 2024/25:
– Heat tests should be performed before each training session.
– mandatory breaks to cool off in the shade
– Chilled towels, misting fans, and additional beverages available whenever possible.
– the player was moved to the shade and had his rectal temperature taken if he looked “worse from use”
– Recommended method for cooling with ice baths. You can also lay the player on a tarp, hold the corners, and pour cold water/crushed ice over the player.
Experts at the respected Mayo Clinic in the United States say that “rectal temperature is the most accurate way to determine core body temperature and is more accurate than mouth or forehead temperature.”
The NRL reportedly made inquiries last week over concerns about new Broncos coach Michael Maguire’s tough pre-season training sessions in the oppressive Brisbane heat.
The NRL is taking steps to protect players undergoing tough pre-season training sessions on hot days (pictured Latrell Mitchell at Souths training this month)
The Broncos have dismissed NRL concerns over new coach Michael Maguire’s grueling start to pre-season training (pictured, Brisbane star Payne Haas in training this month)
Maguire, a notoriously tough coach, has had his players train in the middle of the day as he tries to improve results at Red Hill.
Players were recently seen sweating with buckets of vomit near them, but the club says there is nothing to worry about.
“Our entire staff is well aware of the new preseason guidelines,” Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said. news corporation.
‘Indeed, our staff undertook additional training beyond NRL requirements to ensure our players were looked after in pre-season given the weather in Brisbane. We are also fortunate to have (former NRL elite performance manager) Troy Thomson on our staff.
“We test our players in the preseason, but we also respect the rules and make their safety the top priority.”