The Future of Rugby Hangs in Balance as It Could Face a Billion Dollar Lawsuit Similar to NFL

Rugby has never been for the faint of heart. It is very clearly one of the most brutal contact sports still widely played today. Nonetheless, this very fact has led to many taking a closer look at the sport and considering the long-term ramifications it might have for a significant faction of professional players. As with American Football, the sport has been rife with concussions and head trauma injuries. However, the consequences of participating are now taking a toll on a whole new level.

Recently, 43-year-old Alix Popham, a seasoned rugby player, made his diagnosis of early-onset dementia public. Popham is now part of an ever-growing list of players suffering from disorders like motor neuron disease and epilepsy. This group now intends to hold rugby authorities accountable for failing to protect the players from repeated head trauma during their careers. The case comes in the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup in France starting September 8.

Prioritizing player safety

Rugby is 30 years into its professional era. However, it is this recent boom that has seen the business grow bigger, with more people asking authorities to be accountable for player safety. In light of this, many think the upcoming World Cup might be its last hurrah. “The current form of rugby union as it is played will change straight after the World Cup,” speculates medical expert Prof. Willie Stewart.

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The current lawsuit sees some parallels with that aimed at the NFL in 2013, where the league was forced into a settlement of $1 billion. The NFL has since implemented fines and penalties while also changing some rules drastically to reduce the risk of concussions.

Unlike the NFL, however, a key distinction with rugby is that players don’t wear protective gear or helmets. While certain guidelines have been enforced by the game’s authorities, they represent recommendations rather than mandatory measures. Mandatory rules have been minimal despite the average rugby player being 2.67 times more likely to develop a neurodegenerative disease.

What Alix Popham Wants

Popham is now the Co-Founder of Head For A Change – an organization fighting to protect rugby players from head trauma. He is championing measures like fewer games per season and resting players for 28 days after a head injury. “The conversation we’re having in rugby was happening in boxing 100 years ago,” he said. “The knowledge has been there, it just didn’t get passed down the food chain. And it’s shocking really.”

Popham believes it’s his mission to educate people about the game to ensure it continues. Unfortunately, he also thinks that the powers-that-be in the sport stand to gain more by remaining oblivious about the situation.

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