The GAA's Insurance Scheme Paid For 470 Cruciate Surgeries Last Year

Must-read GAA piece in today's Irish Examiner by John Fogarty about Ger Ryan, Tipp PRO who'll head the HQ's new 'medical, scientific and welfare committee'. There's a lot on the piece but to me the takeaway was the following sentence:

Last year, a staggering €1.4 million was estimated to be paid out under the GAA’s player insurance scheme for the 470 insurance claims for cruciate surgery.

470! Forget about the cost. We know what cruciate injures have done to marquee players like Conor Mortimer or Ciaran Sheehan but cruciate injuries are clearly everpresent on a grassroots level as well.

We've got an epidemic on our hands. Hopefully Ryan and his ideas - like an injury database - will create change.