Sport

James McDermott: Rugby and boxing face uncomfortable questions about head injuries

This Saturday, two international sporting events will take place in Dublin which involve potential dangers to the participants; when Katie Taylor takes on Chantelle Cameron and Leinster play La Rochelle

Katie Taylor fights Amanda Serrano: in boxing the deliberate infliction of a head injury to your opponent is not only perfectly acceptable but remains both the quickest and most reliable route to victory. Picture: Inpho

Next Saturday evening, should everything go according to plan, a woman on a brief visit to Dublin will be punched in the head.

Despite the fact that a large number of gardaí will witness the incident, they will not come to the woman’s assistance.

None of the other onlookers will provide help, limiting their involvement to cheering as loudly as they can to encourage her assailant to repeatedly hit her even harder hoping that the ...