In the past year or two, the National Football League has been dragged into conceding concussions are a bad idea. Having your brain bang around inside your skull … turns out it’s bad.

But we are finding that concussions are nearly inevitable in the game, and with more and more evidence/opinion seeming to suggest that the sport itself might be in trouble, long term, because of the concussion risk.

American football should not be considered the only sport at risk, when it comes to concussions. Rugby cannot be far behind and, actually, may be even more dangerous, in terms of head injuries.

This occurred to me again when The National did a story about how a leading player in the region is giving up rugby after having suffered 10 concussions.

Yes, 10.

I have at least a little bit of understanding of concussions, having suffered what I believe was a serious concussion while playing high school football.

And all the symptoms outlined by Taif Al Delamie, an Omani national who was about to gain eligibility to play for the UAE, sound very familiar.

He said he was advised to give up rugby after concussion No. 10. Here is what he told The National.

“I was fearing it, especially after the last one, against Wasps, because that was the worst I’ve had in my whole career.

“I said if one was to happen again, that would be it, I would hang up my boots. I got through the rest of the season, but since then have been having some dizzy spells which are associated with concussion.

“When you are feeling like that, it is not a tough decision to make. When you are feeling good, that is when you think what you potentially could be doing and what you are missing out on. I really haven’t come to terms with it at all.”

Like American football, rugby has lots of violent collisions.

Some seem to suggest that the “rugby tackle” is less dangerous because it is based on bringing down an opponent with the shoulder, instead of the head.

The Seattle Seahawks talked about using the rugby tackle last season.

But the rugby tackle doesn’t seem to lend any great immunity from concussion to rugby players, who generally play without helmets.

It certainly didn’t help Taif Al Delamie.

If/when football is banned in the U.S., or becomes insignificant because no one will play it anymore, look for rugby to be close behind.