'Unacceptably high': One brain injury in every rugby test, claims neuropathologist

A leading neuropathologist has told a British parliamentary select committee that there is still one brain injury in every international rugby match.

Dr Willie Stewart of Glasgow University told the Department of Culture Media and Sport committee this week that rugby had made steps to make the game safer, but the concussion rate was still too high.

“One of the things that disappoints in rugby is the concussion brain injury level. There is one brain injury per match in international rugby.

‘”That level has stayed the same for four to five years now and that is an unacceptably high level. One in 30 going off with a brain injury per match is unacceptable in any shape or form.’’

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The committee looking at the potential link between neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia, with contact sports.

There has been concern at evidence by Dr Stewart's research team that professional footballers were three and half times more at risk of death from neurodegenerative diseases than the general population.

When MPs asked him this week if rugby was a safe game, Dr Stewart said: “.... I think it could be made a lot safer”.

”There are things that could be done to reduce risks of injury and head impact and risk of dementia further down the line. Safety could be improved.’’

Dr Stewart's comments were reported by Britain's Press Association and published in a range of newspapers.

The Glasgow scientist commended World Rugby’s stricter concussion protocols, new temporary substitution rules and its crackdown on high tackles contacting the head and supported the recent four-match ban imposed on Scotland prop Zander Ferguson for a reckless tackle in a Six Nations test against Wales.

“The only way they can address this… is to take them out of the game.'’

But he said rugby authorities had to start “looking across the game, not just on match day, but also in training’’ due to the cumulative effect of “impact after impact after impact, which do not necessarily produce symptoms.

'Let's talk about how we reduce head impacts, and improve on our tackling and think about training during the week.”

Welsh MP Kevin Brennan, a Cardiff rugby supporter, told the committee the bulking up of players meant “rugby has gone from a contact sport to a collision sport'’.

Dr Stewart said within the rugby industry there had been “revelling in the collisions and contact, but actually there has been a lot of damage to the men and women who play the game, and they are desperately trying to find a solution.’’