A leading specialist has said sideline examination times in contact sports need to be three times longer than currently in order to ensure that players don't suffer permanent damage.

Professor Michael Molloy, a consultant rheumatologist and former chief medical officer with the IRFU, said a five- minute assessment on the sideline is currently the typical period for concussion, but really, really a period of at least fifteen minutes is necessary to help ensure that the player is not suffering from significant concussion.

Prof Molloy believes that players are often too eager to return to the field and that officials sometimes don't realise the dangers of letting them back on too soon.

"While there have been great improvements in awareness and treatment of concussion in recent years, those involved in organising contact sports land other sports need to be aware that a second impact caused by returning to the game can be extremely serious and could cause permanent brain injury."

Professor Molloy was previously involved in updating procedures around concussion in rugby in Ireland before his retirement in 2010.

His concerns follow conclusions of last year's report on concussion by doctors at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan and the orthopaedic department of Waterford Regional Hospital, which showed that concussion has become an area of increasing concern in contact sports because of growing evidence of its long-term effects.

"While there is a certain amount of risk associated with all contacts sports, particularly long term arthritis resulting from injuries, the health risks associated with taking no exercise are even greater," says Professor Molloy, who will be discussing the relationship between sports and good health and injury at the autumn meeting of the Irish Society of Rheumatology, which starts today in Belfast.