Income Protection Insurance For Rugby Players

England hosted the 2015 Rugby World Cup from September to October, and Rugby is often referred to as one of the world’s most dangerous sports.

Rugby players’ injuries often take months to heal or can permanently disable them.

Those who play Rugby as their occupation or as a hobby should consider purchasing an Income Protection Policy to ensure they are financially secure in case an injury leaves them unable to work.

Injuries on the rugby field are prevalent and can often leave someone unable to work for an extended period.

Claybrooke recommends that rugby players, either professionally or as a hobby, consider income protection insurance, especially if they are under financial strain from missing work for some time.

The good news is that rugby players can often find income protection policies without an increased premium rate.

Risks that Rugby Players Face

Rugby players often experience typical injuries during matches, including dislocations, sprains, and broken limbs.

Medial collateral ligament injuries and thigh hematomas are rugby players’ second most common injuries.

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While it is common for players to experience injury during a match, this is not the only time they can do so.

It is also common to sustain injuries during rigorous training and even during practices or practice matches.

According to the knowledgeable advisors at Claybrooke, rugby players who play professionally will generally have special insurance if injured, and their contract needs to cover recovery time.

Amateur players or those who play for fun, however, do not have that kind of insurance protection and are often very financially exposed should they become injured and be unable to work.

Without the proper income protection, missing work due to an injury can be financially devastating.

Are Larger Players More at Risk?

Several studies indicate rugby players worldwide are getting larger, which means they could face much more serious injuries when they collide with other players or tackle one another.

Several examples of larger players who have caused or sustained serious injuries date back to the 1980s.

Even smaller rugby players need to consider income protection since their competition will often be larger and more capable of causing damage.

The popularity of Rugby on the Rise

While rugby players may seem like a select group of individuals, it is important to note that the sport’s popularity is rising and that there will be more rugby players in the future.

This coincides with the work done by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and its All Schools Programme (the program in which Prince Harry is the patron).

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In recent years, English players have raised £ 500,000 to encourage schools to have a more involved rugby program.

Overall, the program worked to target the introduction of rugby to 400 secondary schools before the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and added almost 400 more schools by the following World Cup in 2019.

With this in mind, it is not surprising more people will take up the game and increase their risk of being injured while playing, which is why researching and considering purchasing income protection insurance is so important to protect their financial future.

Why Body Mass Index is Important for Income Protection for Rugby Players

Those insurance providers offering income protection insurance policies will medically underwrite, which means they will need to ask the policy seeker several health-related questions to determine whether or not the person is eligible for insurance.

One factor they will consider is the person’s Body Mass Index or BMI.

Having a high BMI could mean that someone is overweight, which means they are more prone to having health problems and are more likely to make a claim, making them more of a risk to insure by the insurance company.

Rugby players, on the other hand, often have a high BMI but are also physically fit due to the nature of the sport. So, does a high BMI still negatively affect a rugby player’s policy?

Claybrooke asked several different income insurance protection policy providers about the issue of BMI and premiums, and they expressed that BMI is unlikely to be viewed in isolation.

If the policy seeker is considered overweight, their premium payments will likely be higher overall.

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For those considered overweight because of their build but are still physically fit, it would benefit them to speak with a knowledgeable insurance advisor and see if they can talk to the insurance provider to discuss the BMI issue and potentially have the proposed premium reduced.

Those who have a high Body Mass Index due to a higher muscle mass concentration than the average person may be able to secure standard terms for their policy after taking some additional steps, such as having a nurse screen and check their fasting glucose and cholesterol.

Considering that rugby players, both professional and amateur, are more prone to accidents and injuries, it is important for them to consider income protection insurance to help keep their finances secure should they sustain an injury that makes them unable to work.

An income protection policy would pay a benefit upon a successful claim that could help the policyholder and their family stay financially afloat even if they are unable to earn an income.

If you need more information on income protection insurance policies, the insurance team at Claybrooke can help.