Health on line as rugby takes heavy toll

As America’s National Football League (NFL) prepares to tackle a class action lawsuit filed by over 4,000 former professional players relating to the onset of dementia after retirement, consultant Dr Bill Tormey has expressed his concern about the future health of Ireland’s rugby players who repeatedly endure an “extreme hammering” due to the physical nature of the modern game.

Ireland’s ever-growing injury list over the current Six Nations campaign has again shone the spotlight on the frequency of injuries in rugby union and raised questions about the long-term safety of being a professional rugby player.

Gordon D’Arcy, Keith Earls, Peter O’Mahony, Jonathan Sexton, Brian O’Driscoll, Sean O’Brien, Chris Henry, Dave McSharry, Mike McCarthy, Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan have all been on the treatment table since the Six Nations kicked off three weeks ago, with O’Mahony suffering concussion in the opening game against Wales.