Thomas D Parker, Jessica A Hain, Erin J Rooney, Karl A Zimmerman, Ying Lee, Martina Del Giovane, Neil S N Graham, Maneesh Patel, Adam Hampshire, Mathew G Wilson, Daniel Friedland, David J Sharp, Richard J Sylvester, Brain health concerns in former rugby players: clinical and cognitive phenotypes, Brain, 2025;, awae416, https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae416

A London-based team of investigators have assessed 200 ex-elite rugby players who had presented to a specialist Brain Health unit with concerns about their health. Disorders were greatest in those who had recalled having had concussions while playing the sport. This included depression and anxiety. 12% of the ex-players had features suggestive of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – although their level of impairment was rated as possible or suggestive, rather than probable, for CTE.

The authors have been reflective of the limitations of their research but emphasise the significant symptom burden carried by many ex-elite rugby union players.