Majory study reveals rugby players 22% more likely to get dementia

Olga Guryanova

By Stephen Beech

Rugby players are more likely to develop dementia, suggests a major new study.

Researchers found that former male high-level rugby players in New Zealand have a 22% increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia later in life compared to men in the general population.

The study is the latest in a series of reports linking contact sports to increased dementia risk.

High-profile rugby union players diagnosed with dementia include England World Cup winner Steve Thompson , New Zealand's Carl Hayman, former Wales internationals Alix Popham and Dafydd James, plus Scotland's Roy Laidlaw.

Several are suffering from early-onset dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), linked to repetitive head trauma from the sport, and ha