Rowan’s Law was named for Rowan Stringer, a high school rugby player from Ottawa, who died in the spring of 2013 from a condition known as second impact syndrome (swelling of the brain caused by a subsequent injury that occurred before a previous injury healed). Rowan is believed to have experienced three concussions over six days while playing rugby. She had a concussion but didn’t know her brain needed time to heal. Neither did her parents, teachers or coaches.
Rowan’s Law, a concussion safety legislation designed to protect amateur athletes and educate coaches about the dangers of head injuries, requires all sports organizations within Ontario, including curling clubs, to comply with the following protocols:
Ensure that athletes under 26 years of age, parents of athletes under 18, coaches, team trainers and officials confirm every year that they have reviewed Ontario’s Concussion Awareness Resources. Establish a Concussion Code of Conduct that sets out rules of behavior to support concussion prevention. Establish a Removal-from-Sport and Return-to-Sport protocol. This protocol becomes effective January 1, 2022.
We ask all participants under 26 years of age, or guardians of participants to review the relevant Government of Ontario Concussion Awareness Resources below in order to help LDCC ensure compliance and reduce any safety risk to our members and guests.
Rowan’s Law: Concussion safety | ontario.ca
Concussion Awareness Resource – Age 10 and Under
Concussion Awareness Resource – Age 11 to 14
Concussion Awareness Resource – Age 15 and Up