Risk from head impacts in rugby is not uniform; backs and players with more repeated head hits face higher long‑term brain injury risk, influenced by level of play, position, career length, and total games.

Globally, findings show 68% of 31 former Scottish rugby players showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), while a U.S. study of 130 boxers and mixed‑martial artists reported progressive cognitive and brain changes linked to CTE.

In response to these findings, measures are being implemented to reduce head impacts, including lowering tackle height, deploying impact‑measuring smart devices for elite players, and offering targeted brain‑safety training.

The article argues that understanding how the brain responds to repeated head impacts can drive safer playing practices without sacrificing the sport’s enjoyment.

A New Zealand study from Springer Nature connects regular rugby participation with a higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases later in life, based on data from nearly 13,000 former players versus 2.4 million men in a matched cohort.

Specifically, rugby players show a 22% higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, translating to about 13 more cases per 1,000 people over the study period.