After six-month concussion lay-off, New Zealand player reveals he kept ‘a few knocks’ under his hat

A worrying insight from a talented, young back row.

Liam Squire is back in the swing of things in the 2015 Super Rugby season. Following an enforced, six-month break away from the game, the 24-year-old is showing the same type of form that encouraged Waikato Chiefs to call him up from the club rugby scene. Squire has scored two tries, off the bench, so far this season and helped the chiefs shock Richie McCaw's Canterbury Crusaders, 26-9, at the weekend. In an interview with Stuff, in his native New Zealand, Squire reveals that he hid a couple of head knocks so he could play for his club side, Tasman, near the end of last season. He says, 'I was a little bit silly. I took a few knocks leading up to the final, sort of kept that under my hat and it just progressed from there. 'I knew something wasn't right after the final; I was still getting quite bad headaches and I thought "I need to be honest with the doctors" and told them what was going on.' It is quite the revelation that, in modern rugby, with players monitored by medical staff and strength & conditioning coaches, a player can hide concussions and head injuries from their employers, and teammates. Squire says his six-month lay-off, which was imposed after he finally approached Tasman medical staff, last October, and the concussion-related retirement of Chiefs teammate Ben Afeaki. Another former Chiefs player, former Connacht captain Craig Clarke, was also forced to quit rugby due to multiple concussions. The No.8, who has one cap with New Zealand Maori, has been free of concussion symptoms in each of the three weeks he has been back in action. Hat-tip: Stuff