Rugby players face highly increased MND risk: disease study

Rugby chiefs must take urgent action to reduce head injuries after a study indicated that former international players are 15 times more likely to develop motor neurone disease, researchers said on Tuesday.

Academics, who studied a cohort of former Scottish internationals, found that, overall, the ex-players were about 2.5 times more likely to develop neurodegenerative disease than expected, compared to members of the general population.

Multiple studies have shown a link between brain injuries and an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative disease, and that ex-professional athletes are at an increased risk of developing such conditions.

As concerns grow, a group of former players has decided to sue various governing bodies for allegedly failing to protect them from permanent injury.

In the latest research, a team led by the University of Glasgow compared health outcomes among 412 male, Scottish, former international rugby players with over 1 200 matched individuals from the general population.

The results, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, showed that while age at death was slightly higher among former players, they were also at higher risk of a neurodegenerative disease diagnosis compared to their matched controls.

The risk varies by sub-type, but not by player position. As well as the higher risk of developing motor neurone disease, the risk of Parkinson's disease is three times greater.

"This study provides further insight into the association between contact sports and neurodegenerative disease risk," said Glasgow consultant neuropathologist Willie Stewart, who led the research team.

"Of particular concern are the data on motor neurone disease risk among our rugby players, which is