The Memo: Head injuries in rugby

In the 2020-21 season, the RFU reported that there was an average of 22.2 concussions per 1,000 hours of game play in professional rugby, the highest since records started in 2002. While rugby organisations have taken steps to reduce the risk of head injuries, research suggests that players are at a high risk of sustaining multiple sub concussive impacts, and the long-term health implications that come as a result. Now, 225 former professional rugby union players have launched legal proceedings against World Rugby, the WRU and the RFU for failing to adequately protect players from these risks.