Rugby legends welcome sport"s head injury and dementia link research

It’s a sport that has long revelled in its hard man image, with injured players eagerly returning to the pitch after being patched up with the famous “magic sponge”.

But rugby legends have spoken of their relief that the issue of on-field head injuries was now being talked about widely, after new research suggested a link with dementia for the first time.

Former Wales and British Lions prop Graham Price, a member of the feared “Viet-Gwent” Pontypool front row in the 1970s, is among those who have now spoken up on the problem.

Dr Willie Stewart, a neuropathologist at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow made the discovery after examining brain tissue from a former rugby player who died in his 50s.

He found the rugby player had more abnormal proteins associated with head injuries and dementia than a retired amateur boxer.

The boxer had been diagnosed with dementia pugilistica – more commonly known as punch drunk syndrome – which is thought to affect up to 20% of boxers who retire after long careers.

Symptoms, which usually appear between 12 and 16 years after the boxer’s career begins, can include memory, speech and personality problems, tremors and a lack of coordination.

Dr Stewart said the discovery suggested “one or two” players competing in the Six Nations every year may go on to develop the condition.

He said: “What we are finding now is that it is not just in boxers.

“We are seeing it in other sports where athletes are exposed to head injury in high levels.

“I think on current evidence coming from American studies, from looking at American football and our historical evidence looking at boxers throughout the world, I think it would be foolish to think there will be no problem and that rugby is immune from brain damage.”

Price, now a rugby writer said: “I was lucky throughout my career I didn’t suffer actual concussion despite having a lot of knocks.

“People would joke that forwards didn’t have brains so they didn’t feel anything.

“But of course this is a serious issue and I’m glad people are now speaking about it widely.

“There’s a feeling that in the modern game some players are maybe going back onto the pitch when they should be off rugby for three or four weeks as used to be the case.

“We all saw George Smith come back on against the Lions in Australia after a massive clash of heads with Richard Hibbard…but he didn’t know where he was.”

Price is the latest of a number of players to speak out after Dr Stewart’s research was revealed this month.

Ex-Scotland No 8 John Beattie said: “I’m fed up of watching internationals being concussed, knocked out, sent dizzy – whatever you want to call it – and then either jumping back to their feet and playing on or going to the sidelines then wandering back.

“Players have to understand that you can get a hip replacement, a knee replacement, and even a heart replacement but as yet there is no brain replacement.”

Former England prop Jeff Probyn added: “The question that has to be asked is, would improved concussion protocols help stop or reduce the potential risk of dementia across the game?”

The International Rugby Board (IRB) launched its controversial Pitchside Suspected Concussion Assessment (PSCA) scheme last September to allow medics to give injured players a series of questions.

If the player is suspected of having concussion he must stay off.

But ex-Scotland international Rory Lamont claimed this month he was once forced to play on through injury and labelled the IRB’s concussion protocols “flawed”.

The IRB, meanwhile, has launched a long term study into the effects of head injury.

It said in a statement: “Rugby acknowledges the relevance of research into the long-term effects of repeated blows to the head, particularly CTE (a neurological degenerative disease found in those who have had repetitive traumatic brain injuries) and is being proactive.

“Currently, there is no scientific link between a single or even two concussion events and long-term brain injury but the IRB has been proactive in launching a long-term study in 2012 with the University of Auckland.”

The IRB also defended its Pitchside Suspected Concussion Assessment experiment.

A statement issued by the board said: “Independent neurologists, rugby medics and the players Union have given their unanimous backing to the PSCA protocol, recommending continuation of the current global trial in elite Rugby.

“The concussion management working group unanimously agreed that the trial should be extended for another 12 months as it is working nd mitigating risks of mismanaging concussion in rugby.

“Under the trial there’s been a 25% increase in players being permanently removed from the field of play following a head impact.”

Rugby legends welcome sport"s head injury and dementia link research