BARRY “TIZZA” TAYLOR was 77 when he died last year, but in reality the man his family loved had departed long ago.
Taylor played rugby union for 19 years in Australia; during that time he received countless blows to the head. The injuries eventually caught up with him. At 57 he began to show signs of dementia and by the time of his death he couldn’t recall his name.
Earlier this year Taylor became the first former rugby player to be diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), caused by repeated concussions. He won’t be the last. According to a campaign launched this week, rugby union players don’t know enough about the risks of concussion – and the governing bodies aren’t doing enough to prevent it.
CTE leads to memory problems, personality change and slowness of movement. It is most often associated with boxers but has also been an issue in American football. Thousands of ex-professionals sued the National Football League alleging that it knew about the risks but covered them up. Last year the NFL offered a $765 million settlement package.
Neurologists have long suspected that CTE could also be a problem in rugby union because of its emphasis on high-speed “hits”. Concussion is the fourth most common injury in the professional game. New Scientist understands that another deceased player’s brain has recently been found to have CTE in the UK.
Last week British MP Chris Bryant launched a campaign to increase awareness about concussion in sport. A documentary about the “concussion crisis”, Head Games, was also released in the UK. After the press screening, a current player said: “Our concussion protocols can be laughable at times.”
One of the key issues is recognising concussed players and getting them off the pitch. There is some evidence that concussed players who play on are at greater risk of further concussions and long-term problems.
Barry O’Driscoll, a former Irish international who features in the film and is uncle to Ireland player Brian O’Driscoll, resigned from the medical committee of the International Rugby Board (IRB) over this last year.
He says that until recently a player with any sign of concussion had to leave the pitch immediately and couldn’t return. This was based on the recommendations of an international committee. But last year the IRB introduced a new system called the Pitchside Suspected Concussion Assessment (PSCA) for some international matches and professional leagues in the men’s game. A player who has received a blow to the head is now taken off the pitch for cognition, balance and memory tests; if he passes he can return after 5 minutes.
“It came out of the blue,” says O’Driscoll. “They say it is based on best research evidence, but there is none.”
The IRB disputes this. It says that the PSCA was designed by experts based on existing concussion tests and is already improving player safety. Under the old system team doctors examined players on the pitch and decided if they needed to come off; 56 per cent of players who played on were later found to be concussed. The IRB says that figure is now 13 per cent.
What both sides agree on is that players and coaches need to be educated so they take concussion more seriously – and at least know what they may be letting themselves in for in later life.
Source: New Scientist Magazine
This article appeared in print under the headline “Rugby players warned of lasting brain injury risk”
