Evidence of a link between rugby and brain injury keeps rising, forcing us to examine much of what is compelling in the game
Join these dots. Start with the handful of former rugby players who have spoken publicly about their symptoms. Alix Popham, Michael Lipman, Steve Thompson, Carl Hayman, Dan Scarbrough, Neil Clarke, Tim Cowley, Jason Hobson, Neil Spence, Adam Hughes. Remember that the law firm is representing another 200 players, from union and league, all showing symptoms of brain damage. Add in the research done by the Drake Foundation, the University of South Wales and Durham University. How does the picture look now?
At Durham the UK Rugby Health Project has been working on a study of a group of 189 retired rugby players, 83 of them elite, 106 amateur, 145 from union, 44 from league. When it published its recent review of the mental health and wellbeing of the group the lead author, Karen Hind, explained why so many retired players had signed up with the project in the first place. “People wanted to take part because it felt like a good way to get an MOT on their bodies.”
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