Good to see the new Chairman of World Rugby has a medical degree and therefore an understanding of brain health. He should know that the fundamental issue is cumulative intensity of impacts, even more than concussions. espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/…

The now-farcical rugby Prem. season needs rethinking. Without marquee players in 2 Int. windows, results are meaningless. We also now know that long-term brain health issues come fundamentally from cumulative intensity of impacts.

Warmest congratulations to my friend Dawn Astle MBE on her richly deserved MBE for tireless work supporting afflicted players and their families since the loss of her father Jeff in 2002.

In the 2015 film Concussion, Dr Bennett Omalu uncovered a devastating truth: repeated head trauma in American football can cause long-term brain damage. The NFL initially denied it but Omalu made his case eloquently. Here’s my review: youtu.be/CoUfljuAou0

When you see this film, made almost a decade ago, you wonder how rugby union has continued without fundamental changes in cumulative impacts. All the more so from our data which showed white matter damage in 23% of 44 elite players: youtu.be/CoUfljuAou0 academic.oup.com/braincomms/art…

We now know that the fundamental brain health issue in collision sports is cumulative intensity of impacts. It’s easy to say (without proper evidence) “he’s recovered from concussion” but harder to dismiss the cumulative effects of thousands of impacts.

Tom Curry has sustained multiple concussions during his rugby career. One in Sept 2024 with Sale Sharks, another in Nov 2024 with England, where his head collided with Rob Valetini’s knee. This incident marked his 5th known concussion in 2 years.

The Drake Football Study funded by my The Drake Foundation is a long-term project tracking the physical & mental health of 170 men & women footballers: the only way to properly understand the later-life health impact of contact sport. fifpro.org/en/supporting-…

Our Drake Football Study tracks 170+ footballers long term: we're uncovering crucial data on physical & mental health in men's & women's football. Partnering with the likes of FIFPRO to improve player wellbeing is why I established Plymouth Drake Foundation. #FootballResearch

Yet another elite rugby player, only 47, facing brain health issues. When will they deal with this by reducing cumulative impacts, which is fundamental? planetrugby.com/news/i-have-no…

The World Rugby brain health service found 25% of ex-players ‘at risk’ of problems. A 2021 study funded by The Drake Foundation found 23% of elite players (10/44) showed white matter damage, av age 25. academic.oup.com/braincomms/art… theguardian.com/sport/2025/apr…

Here is the first publication from the Drake IPV Study published online in BMJ Mental Health: Article: mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1/e…

📢 New in BMJ Mental Health: This article presents a study investigating the long-term mental health outcomes associated with intimate partner violence & traumatic brain injury in midlife individuals. To access the full article, please use the link below: mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1/e…

Prof. William Stewart, coauthor of The Drake IPV Study, discusses the long-term implications of intimate partner violence for brain health. The study of 632 adults showed ongoing mental health disorders remained elevated even 27 years after abuse stopped. Dr Willie Stewart

Now that all this MRI data is being generated for the population as a whole, it is vital that contact sport starts to collect baseline MRI data for players who request it. news.sky.com/story/worlds-b…

1 in 8 women were victims of domestic crime, sexual abuse or stalking in the last year. Separately the Drake IPV Study showed ongoing mental health disorders remained elevated even 27 years after abuse stopped. itv.com/news/2025-07-2… mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1/e…

Today’s elite rugby union players are at least aware of the risks to long-term brain health. It was far less clear after the game went professional (1995) but it doesn’t diminish the responsibility of those who run the game. academic.oup.com/braincomms/art…

We know that cerebral blood flow reductions and vascular dysfunction can be key early features in neurodegenerative diseases. So the 2021 finding of either axonal injury or diffuse vascular injury in the brains of 10/44 elite rugby players needs further investigation.