The rugby world was shocked by the news of the first confirmed diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a fully professional rugby union player in New Zealand. Billy Guyton, a former player for the Māori All Blacks and Super Rugby teams, passed away at the young age of 33.
Guyton’s brain was donated to the University of Auckland’s brain bank, where Associate Professor Michael Buckland confirmed the diagnosis of CTE, classified as stage 2. This diagnosis shed light on the potential risks of repeated head impacts in rugby and raised concerns within New Zealand Rugby.
Having suffered from multiple concussions, Guyton was forced to retire from rugby at the age of 28 due to symptoms related to his head injuries. His case is not isolated, with former professional rugby players like Steve Thompson, Alix Popham, and Carl Hayman also being diagnosed with suspected CTE.
In light of these findings, many former players are taking legal action against governing bodies for what they claim is a lack of proper care and information regarding the risks of head injuries in rugby. There is now a growing call for collision sports to implement measures that limit the amount of contact players are exposed to in order to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like CTE.
At present, CTE can only be definitively diagnosed postmortem, but advancements in science are moving towards a diagnostic method for the living. The rugby community, along with the broader sports world, is being forced to confront the harsh realities of the long-term effects of head injuries and the need for change to protect the health and well-being of athletes in contact sports.
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