More than 100 former England rugby union players are to take part in an Rugby Football Union study "to measure the long-term impact of concussion on brain health," according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. The 115 former internationals, all aged over 50, "have agreed to take part in the research along with 90 former Oxford and Cambridge Blues from a similar age group." About half of the 205 former players in the study "reported having suffered concussion during their playing days." The issue of head traumas "has been given added resonance after Dylan Hartley, the England captain, said that he would consider his future in rugby if he suffered another concussion." The former players "will be put through a battery of physical and cognitive tests to measure their physical and mental health, and to gauge the extent of any link between concussion and increased risk of developing neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as punch-drunk syndrome." A link has been established in other contact sports, including boxing and American football, but RFU Chief Medical Officer Dr. Simon Kemp said that "research was needed into the possible effects of concussion sustained playing rugby." He said, "We want to be able to give players detailed information about the consequences of suffering three, four or five concussions and that is not something we can do with any evidence base at the moment." The results "will feed into other research being carried out by World Rugby looking at how coaching and law changes could reduce head injuries" (LONDON TIMES, 6/2).
