If the game of rugby wishes to continue to expand in America then it is crucial that players are aware of the level of insurance they have and the physical and financial risks they are taking every time they step on a rugby pitch.
In general, all US rugby players are covered by USA Rugby’s liability, and accident insurance policy provided they are playing in a USA Rugby affiliated club and in an event also sanctioned by USA Rugby.
Whilst that sounds like god news, the insurance policy in which members are automatically enrolled provides only basic coverage. This can leave players in a bad situation should the worst happen and a serious injury is suffered.
Let’s find out what level of protection is actually on offer.
US Rugby Player Insurance Policy
Pretty much all rugby clubs in the US will be affiliated with USA Rugby, i.e. they pay membership fees to USA Rugby, and clubs and players then benefit from the insurance deals that they have brokered.
USA Rugby has arranged for liability insurance and accident insurance underwritten by Everest Re Group Ltd, but what do these policies include, I hear you ask?
Liability insurance for US Rugby players
This policy protects rugby players, and all members of the governing body at all USA Rugby sanctioned events from claims arising from alleged bodily injury, personal injury or property damage liability. This can include judgments, attorney fees, court costs, and/or other related expenses.
The current general liability limits are set out below:
| Personal and advertising injury | $1,000,000 |
| Products/Completed Operation aggregate | $2,000,000 |
| Damage to premises rented to you | $1,000,000 |
| Participant legal liability | Included |
| Medical expense (one person) | $1,000 |
| Abuse/molestation per occurrence | $1,000,000 |
| Abuse/molestation per aggregate | $2,000,000 |
| Excess Liability Occurrence/Aggregate | $4m/$8m |
They all seem big numbers apart from the one I was looking out for, the medical expense per person is $1,000. I am no expert but I am not sure how helpful that would be given the price of medical care in America.
In general, public liability insurance means that if it can be proven that you as a player have caused injury, loss, or damage through negligence then you become legally liable to pay compensation to the injured person(s).
“The general liability insurance policy provides 3rd party liability insurance. Its coverage is very similar to liability insurance coverage for your automobile. It covers you if you hurt someone else while playing rugby, such as a spectator or visitor and it covers any incidental (but not intentional) property damage caused by you or your club during an event. It does not cover player versus player injuries.“
– USA Rugby
Schools, clubs, and universities are not specifically mentioned in the policy but it is very clear that the only registered members are covered.
So if I were looking to play for an American University I would be checking that they and I are fully registered members of USA Rugby and that all events and matches are also fully sanctioned USA Rugby events. If they were not then I would refuse to play.
You can understand USA rugby’s stance. Whilst they can ensure that club coaches and referees meet certain standards through their registration process.
They cannot ensure the standards of a teacher in school who is perhaps just running a school rugby club on a more casual basis and perhaps has no specific qualifications in the game.
Bottom line, make sure you and your club are registered with USA rugby!
At this point you might want to check out: Do rugby players in the UK have insurance?
Personal Accident Insurance For US Rugby Players
This is really intended for only the direst situations, including: permanent disability, death, or catastrophic injuries such as spinal cord and brain injuries.
The USA Rugby policy provides accidental death, dismemberment and medical coverage to eligible USA Rugby persons.
Medical expense coverage is excess coverage, this means that any other scheme you are a member of will be used before benefits from the USA Rugby scheme are used.
- Accidental Medical Expense Maximum Benefit: $10,000
- Maximum Physical Therapy – $50 / day
- 40 visits Dental Maximum $2,500 per accident
- Accidental Death & Specific Loss:
- Principal Sum: $10,000 Benefit Period:
- Loss within 52 weeks of Injury
- Notable riders included:
- Heat-related problems including heat exhaustion, heat prostration, and heat stroke, overuse or repetitive motion injuries/symptoms including bursitis, tendonitis, shin, stress fractures or twists.
(Information source: USArugby.org)
Personally, the thing that stands out for me when looking over this policy is that there is no coverage for loss of earnings.
What this means is that if you get injured playing rugby and you cannot work as a result and therefore don’t get paid you cannot claim for ‘loss of earnings’ via this policy.
It is crucial to know and understand this. If you are a family man with kids to look after, mortgage payments to make, and school tuition fees to pay for then I would strongly suggest that you take out some form of extra cover for loss of earnings.
Imagine going out on a Saturday afternoon to play rugby and coming back with a broken leg, arm or collarbone and not being able to work.
Not only would your wife be pretty upset about it but most likely very alarmed at the prospect of having to go without your salary for a month or two before you can get back earning again.
For youngsters, this might not be quite such an issue but for people with significant responsibilities and commitments then it is definitely worth careful consideration.
You might be interested in: How much do rugby players in the UK earn?
Should rugby players in America take out an insurance policy?
Rugby players would get a sense of security and benefits above and beyond USA Rugby’s basic public insurance policy. The main advantage is that you can arrange personal loss of income insurance in case of serious injury and gain coverage for other geographical regions outside USA Rugby’s reach.
Nightmare scenarios are few and far between but they do happen. One only has to read a couple of stories to realize how tragic the outcomes could be.
“Paylor was a sophomore on Cal’s powerhouse rugby team when he was paralyzed on May 6, 2017, during the Bears’ national championship game against Arkansas State.
They were still playing rugby around my numb, motionless body,” Paylor told the Mercury News last year. “I looked like a corpse.”
Mercury News
If you read the story though you’ll see how amazingly he bounced back, but, without insurance, I am sure it would have been more difficult.
The least you can do is count your blessings now and promise to take a proper look into your insurance status. You can check out the full USA Rugby policy here.
You might also like to read: Do you need insurance for rugby? and Rugby travel insurance: What you need to know