Rugby Players at Higher Risk of Developing Dementia, Study Reveals

A major new study in New Zealand has found that male former high-level rugby players have a 22% increased risk of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia later in life compared to men in the general population. Researchers examined the long-term neurodegenerative disease risk among almost 13,000 men who played rugby at provincial-level or higher between 1950 and 2000, and compared them with 2.4 million New Zealand men, matched on age, ethnicity, and birthplace.

Key Takeaways:

The study found that male former high-level rugby players in New Zealand have a 22% increased risk of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia later in life compared to men in the general population.
High-profile rugby union players diagnosed with dementia include former Wales internationals Alix Popham and Dafydd James, England World Cup winner Steve Thompson, New Zealand's Carl Hayman, and Scotland's Roy Laidlaw, who are suffering from early-onset dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
The study found that both professional international and provincial amateur players had higher risks than the general population, although the risks were greater at the higher playing level.
The increased risk of disease usually became apparent from the age of 70 onwards, with no evidence of earlier-onset illness.
The study found that players in backline positions had greater risks than forwards, with the risk for backs increasing further the longer they played or the more matches they played.
The research team recommends that collision sports organizations limit player exposure to head impacts and manage suspected concussions "proactively" while continuing to communicate openly about both the benefits and risks of participation in contact sports like rugby.

Statistics:

Out of every 1,000 men in the general population, 52 died from or were diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease over the follow-up period from 1988 to 2023.
Among former rugby players, the number was 65 per 1,000, an extra 13 cases per 1,000 people over the study period.
The risk of neurodegenerative disease was higher for players competing at the international or professional level compared to those who only played provincially.
The position differences indicate that the nature of contact, not just the number of head impacts, may be important in understanding risk.

Sources:

research team which conducted the new study, Senior lecturer Dr Stephanie D'Souza, from the University of Auckland, and Dr Ken Quarrie, from New Zealand Rugby
Anns F, D'Souza S, Quarrie K (2023) "Long-term neurodegenerative disease risk among former rugby players: a cohort study". Sports Medicine
World Rugby and the New Zealand Rugby Foundation
Kumanu Tangata project