MND Risk article

[Neils]

BBC News - Research call over MND risk to elite rugby players
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63133516

[mike909]

Having seen the interview this morning with Steve T and read the article in The Guardian - it looks like the subjects were players born from 1900 to 1990. That's of interest - well it is to me.

Without seeing the results in detail - I think a concern would be that people in the study who played from 100 to perhaps 35 years ago were more like the keen amateurs "PE teacher fit"? that many of us were, rather than what the players from pro times have done. And how wide a range of players might be potentially affected.

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

Yes, interesting timespan in that it bridges from the amateur into the professional era. Per the Guardian article, the size, speed and power, along with the "collision" aspect of the sport these days may mean that as professionalism has meant better athletes, it may - conversely - have been worse for those very athletes! The "run at space" ethos of the amateur era (in general) may have protected those players more, despite the laxer rules (or policing thereof) around actual violence and fisticuffs.

Suspect most of us on here played the game at one level or another, and will be watching outcomes with a degree of interest.

Of course, it should go without saying that everything that can be done to de-risk the game should be, without inherently damaging the very nature of it. Therein lies the challenge... already seen too many players suffer and there are sure to be more.