EDINBURGH, Scotland — During a Six Nations match against Ireland on Sunday, Scotland rugby players Darcy Graham and Finn Russell encountered a serious head collision, forcing them to exit the game. The incident occurred in the 21st minute when both players, aiming to tackle Irish scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park, collided with one another.

Initially, both athletes remained on the ground with their arms extended at Murrayfield. Although Russell managed to walk off the field and underwent a Head Injury Assessment (HIA), he was later substituted. Scotland’s coach, Gregor Townsend, mentioned that Russell had initially passed the HIA, but conflicting reports from the tournament’s official account stated the opposite. “There were a couple of things he wasn’t remembering about plays,” Townsend explained, leading to the decision to keep him off the field. “It’s obviously frustrating for him; it’s a freak injury when you collide with your own teammate.”

Townsend added that due to the delayed symptoms, Russell would now be considered to have failed the HIA. The coach was uncertain whether this would result in a seven-day absence from play but expressed hope that Russell would be ready for the Round 3 match against England in two weeks.

Graham required extensive treatment before being taken off the field on a stretcher, giving a thumbs-up to the audience as he left. Townsend provided an update on Graham’s condition, stating that the medical team was still waiting for the results of scans. “I believe there are no issues around his neck, but we need to investigate the source of the concussion,” he remarked. “I’m just hoping there are no broken bones in his facial or skull regions.”

Graham has been a notable asset for Scotland, scoring 29 tries and ranking just behind Duhan van der Merwe in the nation’s all-time list. Sadly, he missed the 2023 and 2024 Six Nations tournaments due to injuries. Ultimately, Scotland lost the match to Ireland with a score of 32-18.