As the RFU continues to look into the risk of degenerative brain diseases caused by rugby, here is a reminder of a number of players forced to retire due to head injuries.
Rugby concussions that have ended careers:
1. Shontayne Hape
The former England centre gave a shocking insight into concussion in rugby and claimed how players are regularly pressured to return quickly from head injuries and claims they routinely cheated cognitive tests designed to monitor their brain function throughout the season. Hape who was capped 13 times by the Red Rose called time on his career in 2013 while playing in France for Montpellier.
The former Bath centre gauged he’d been concussed close to 20 times in his career and said his own condition got so bad he could not remember his PIN number and was left with “depression, constant migraines and memory loss”.
2. Andy Hazell
The seven-times capped England flanker spent 17 seasons with Gloucester playing for than 250 games for the Cherry & Whites before quitting on medical advice in February, 2014, at the age of 35.
“It started back in August. I got concussed, came back and then got concussed again. I worked hard to get back, and tried everything, but it still wasn’t right,” said Hazell.
3. Jared Payne
The 32-year-old was forced to retire from playing professional rugby earlier this year after he was unable to sufficiently recover from a head injury sustained while on tour with the British & Irish Lions last summer.
4. Mouritz Botha
He retired from professional rugby at the age of 35, on medical advice related to concussion.
5. Kat Merchant
She retired in 2014 on medical advice, after sustaining a number of concussions during her career. Merchant earned 58 caps and has scored an impressive 44 tries for England
6. Declan Fitzpatrick
He retires on medical advice after receiving a number of concussions.
7. Dominic Ryan
The Ireland international retired at 28 earlier this month from “terrifying” concussion related health problems..
Speaking in the Irish Times, Ryan said: “It’s a weight off my shoulders…with a bit of distance I can see it was a no-brainer to retire. I can see now I was literally putting myself in harm’s way.”
8. Nic Berry
Despite suffering numerous head injuries in recent seasons, the 28-year-old Australian was cleared to start the 2012 campaign for Wasps.
But a "concussive episode" during the season opener against Harlequins has forced him to quit the game after two years at Adams Park.
9. Pete Browne
The Ulster second-row announced his decision to retire from the game, with immediate effect in October 2018, after suffering repeated concussions. The 30-year-old revealed that he met with a neurological specialist who helped him realise that hanging up his boots was the right thing to do.
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10. David Denton
IIn September 2019, the 29-year-old has been advised to quit following a concussion injury he sustained playing for Leicester Tigers in October. Zimbabwe-born Denton was capped 42 times for Scotland, making the move to Edinburgh Rugby in 2010 before spells at Bath and Worcester Warriors proceeded his switch to Leicester last year.
