England flanker Tom Curry believes rugby union has "come on leaps and bounds in terms of player safety" amid fears the sport's future is at stake from concussion - something he appears to regard as an occupational hazard.
Curry, 24, returned home early from England's tour of Australia in July because of the concussion he suffered in the first Test and, a match later, fellow England forwards Sam Underhill and Maro Itoje were ruled out of the Sydney decider for the same reason.
Nearly 200 former players, including England's 2003 World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson, have launched lawsuits against the game's governing bodies.
Several of the players involved have been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and other irreversible neurological impairments.
But Sale back-row Curry said Monday he had "full confidence" in his long-term health prospects.
"Rugby is a contact sport. You work on your tackle technique, you try and get it right but ultimately it's very different every time you do it," he said.
A new protocol was introduced in July that states any player with a history of concussion or who is removed from a match with obvious concussion symptoms must sit out at least the next 12 days rather than undergo a seven-day head injury assessment (HIA) process.
"Rugby is being put into a better spot with research and what's going on," Curry said. "I've got full confidence in my long-term health. I'll let the scientists take care of that and let's crack on and play rugby.
"If the research backs the change to the protocols then I'm all for it. At the end of the day my job is to play rugby."
The dynamic Curry is renowned for his work at the breakdown, but that can leave him vulnerable to a reckless clear-out by an opponent, especially when
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Sam Underhill
Tom Curry
Steve Thompson