World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont has claimed the governing body has made "strong progress" with its player welfare reforms ©Getty Images

World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont has claimed the governing body has made "strong progress" with its player welfare reforms and pledged to continue research in the area to help prevent injuries in the sport.

Beaumont said the organisation had a "great base in leading injury-management programmes", including concussion and immediate pitch-side care, two elements which rugby has been criticised for in the past.

World Rugby has also published data to support their claims that suggests that global injury rates have not increased at elite international level.

It revealed that in 2012, a total of 56 per cent of players showing signs of concussion remained on the field.

This number reduced to 13 per cent after one year.

The data for 2016 to 2017, taken from 22 global elite competitions, showed that eight per cent are not being correctly removed.

This demonstrates "significant advances in sensitivity, awareness and cultural change", according to World Rugby.

World Rugby are continuing their research in areas such as concussion and injury prevention ©Getty Images
World Rugby are continuing their research in areas such as concussion and injury prevention ©Getty Images

"As a sport we collaboratively prioritise player welfare at all levels and I would like to thank the delegates here, the doctors, scientists and researchers for their expert contribution to the multiple programmes that are in operation and continued commitment to do more," Beaumont said at the World Rugby Medical Commission Conference in London.

"We have achieved a great base in leading injury-management programmes, particularly in the areas of concussion and immediate pitch-side care. 

"We are now well advanced in exploring research-based strategies to prevent injuries, particularly head injuries, and look forward to rolling these out across the game in partnership with unions."

World Rugby chief medical officer Martin Raftery echoed Beaumont's sentiments but warned they still had work to do.

"It is important to note that the risk of injury in rugby is not increasing but we must and can always do more to reduce that risk.

"The evolution to injury prevention follows a four-year focus of improving global injury management and while we will continue to focus on adapting awareness and education tools that support injury management, we are now starting to understand the trends and factors that contribute to injury and hone them to focus globally now on injury prevention.

"Our unions and the International Rugby Players’ Association continue to collaborate with medical, science and research experts to drive this ambition forward."