Shane Christie, rugby player who called for concussion study, dies aged 39

Tragic story from New Zealand

Shane Christie, the former rugby player who was a vocal advocate for a deeper study into the connection between concussion and long-term brain issues, has died aged 39. 

Christie represented New Zealand Maori during his career, and played for Highlanders in Super Rugby.

He was found dead in his home in Nelson early on Wednesday morning after police were called. Police said they had “no further information or comment to provide.”

Christie spoke passionately about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder, and suspected he had it himself.

In The US, a number of suicides of former NFL players have been linked to the disorder, and in 2016 the NFL acknowledged the link between football concussion and CTE.

Christie had previously said he intended to donate his brain to researchers in the hope of making rugby safer, saying in a recent interview: “Without brain donations we’re not going to be able to identify how long it takes to get this disease. It’s important to help the research in New Zealand.”

Christie was friends with Billy Guyton, who died of suicide in 2023 after being diagnosed with CTE. 

“Bill motivated me to have the courage to speak my mind about what I see,” Christie said in 2024. 

It is thought CTE causes mood and behaviour changes, as well as cognitive impairment. 

New Zealand rugby said: "Any time the rugby community loses a member it is felt deeply.

"Shane’s passion for the game will be remembered always. Our thoughts are with Shane’s whānau (family), friends, former teammates, and community at this incredibly difficult time.”

Irish study found casual attitude to head injuries in schools

A new study has found that a shocking number of school rugby players in Ireland would continue to play sport with concussion symptoms. 

A “somewhat concerning” 35 per cent of school players said they would “would continue to play a sport while also having a headache that resulted from a minor concussion,” a study by UCC’s School of Medicine and Cork University Hospital found. 17 per cent of club players held the same view.

The study surveyed the views and attitudes of over 520 IRFU-registered players, from 17 clubs and five schools.

According to an Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance Report, concussion is the most common injury diagnosed in non-professional men’s and women’s rugby clubs in Ireland.