(Reuters) — More than 100 former rugby internationals have agreed to take part in a scientific study on the effects of concussion on brain health to increase safety standards in the sport, said the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
The issue has long been a source of concern in rugby and resurfaced last month when England captain Dylan Hartley, sidelined for 14 weeks with various head injuries last season, said he would consider retirement if he suffered another concussion.
More than 200 former players over 50 who reported concussions while playing will go through physical and cognitive tests to study possible links between concussion and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Professor Neil Pearce of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who will lead the study, said he hoped the results would be conclusive in establishing the long-term effects of concussion.
