Study finds former rugby players 15 times more likely to develop MND

Researchers comparing the health records of 412 former Scottish international rugby players against more than 1,200 matched individuals from the general population have found a stark disparity: the players were 15 times more likely to develop motor neurone disease. The findings, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry in early October 2022, also showed that former rugby players faced approximately two and a half times the expected risk of neurodegenerative disease overall. The study, led by consultant neuropathologist Willie Stewart at the University of Glasgow, represents a continuation of similar research into contact sports and brain degeneration that has already examined professional footballers and drawn comparisons to the NFL.

The MND figure stands out as particularly striking. Motor neurone disease—a progressive neurological condition that attacks nerve cells controlling voluntary muscles—has become a visible concern in rugby circles through the cases of former Scotland international lock Doddie Weir and former Great Britain rugby league scrum-half Rob Burrow, both of whom have publicly battled the disease. The research found no correlation between player position and risk, suggesting that the hazard is distributed across the sport rather than concentrated in any particular role.

Stewart told journalists that the work demonstrates neurodegenerative risk extends beyond football to rugby players as well. "Of particular concern are the data on MND risk, which is even higher than that for former footballers," he said, calling for immediate research attention into the specific association between rugby and the condition. He also urged the sport to accelerate its protective measures. "I think rugby could be speeding up this pace of change," Stewart remarked, suggesting that reducing contact in training and matches might actually improve the quality of play while protecting players from lasting brain damage.

The research lands amid intensifying legal pressure on the sport. Nearly 200 former players, including former Ireland internationals David Corkery and Declan Fitzpatrick, have filed legal action against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union, and the Welsh Rugby Union. The claimants argue that rugby's governing bodies were aware of the risks posed by repetitive head impacts but failed to take reasonable steps to protect players from permanent brain injury and early-onset dementia. England's 2003 World Cup winner Steve Thompson, diagnosed with early-onset dementia in 2020, is set to share his story in a BBC documentary scheduled to air shortly after the study's publication.

In recent years, rugby has made some adjustments—changes to tackle laws and a shift toward reducing contact during training sessions—but critics argue the pace of change remains insufficient given what the science now shows. The sport faces mounting pressure to do more, faster, as evidence accumulates that the physical toll of rugby extends far beyond the immediate aftermath of a match.

Not all experts view the findings without reservation. Brian Dickie, director of research development at the Motor Neurone Disease Association, acknowledged that the study adds weight to previous reports of elevated risk in soccer players but raised methodological questions. He noted that the absolute number of MND cases in the rugby player group appears to be small, and he found it surprising that the larger control group reported no cases of MND, given that it is the most common neurodegenerative disease in middle age. Dickie also pointed out that MND typically involves a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, and that high-performance athletes may carry different genetic risk profiles than the general population. He called for the research to be extended into much larger populations across multiple countries, requiring close collaboration between researchers and rugby governing bodies.

The study thus opens rather than closes a conversation. It provides a clear signal that contact sports carry risks to long-term neurological health, but it also leaves room for further investigation into exactly how those risks operate, who is most vulnerable, and what interventions might actually work. For rugby—a sport already defending itself in court over brain injury claims—the findings represent both a warning and an incomplete picture that demands urgent clarification.