RW Johnson: Springbok mania obscures real question – will rugby itself be abolished?

RW Johnson: Springbok mania obscures real question – will rugby itself be abolished?

RW Johnson offers a sobering health warning about the national sport to a nation celebrating its rugby prowess.
Published on:Β 

By RW Johnson

There has been considerable self-satisfaction in South Africa since the Springboks' victory in the Rugby World Cup, with many newspaper articles happily speculating that the country might win the Webb Ellis trophy again in 2027. This is all harmless enough – but it would be sensible to realise that the game of rugby is in some trouble and that things probably cannot continue as they are.

The problem actually surfaced first in soccer where it was realised that an inordinately large number of retired soccer players were suffering from dementia. The key point was that soccer is a contact sport and that many players had suffered repetitive head injuries. In particular, forwards who frequently headed the ball were prone to develop dementia, often at a surprisingly young age.

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