By Dylan CleaverPioneering research into the health of retired rugby players conducted in New Zealand will be taken to the global arena. The after-effects of concussion have led to the premature retirements of a number of professional rugby players recently, including Riki Hoeata. The initial Rugby Health study proved a sometimes fraught exercise, with researchers and rugby administrators at odds over the significance of the findings. "We would like to know if the health outcomes found in New Zealand retired rugby players are also evident in other countries," Hume said. Some 85 per cent of elite rugby players and 77 per cent of community rugby players reported having had at least one concussion, versus 23 per cent of non-contact sport players.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 07, 2017 09:00 UTC