Everyone wants answers for former rugby players like Lewis Moody but they are hard to come by | Andy Bull

"Lewis Moody, 47, is the latest in a long line of players who has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease that may or may not be linked to his career in collision sport. Over the past decade I've interviewed more of these men, and their friends and families, than I ever wanted to. Many of them chose to first reveal their diagnoses in the Guardian. First there's the shock, then the sorrow, then the expressions of sympathy and support."

"The current science can only tell you so much. The Motor Neurone Disease Association's position is that the latest research suggests a correlation between traumatic brain injuries and MND, but that the same research has not proven that traumatic brain injuries are a cause of MND. Such injuries are just one on a long list of genetic factors and environmental factors."

"Studies have found possible links with electrical trauma, mechanical trauma, high levels of exercise, exposure to assorted heavy metals and agricultural chemicals, and, yes, concussions and other traumatic brain injuries that occurred while playing sport. A 2022 study on a group of more than 400 former international rugby players found that their risk of MND was 15 times greater than the members of the general public who also participated."

Lewis Moody, 47, has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease that may or may not be linked to his career in collision sport. Many former players and their families have made similar diagnoses public. The Motor Neurone Disease Association states recent research indicates a correlation between traumatic brain injuries and MND while not proving causation. Multiple genetic and environmental factors are implicated, including electrical and mechanical trauma, high levels of exercise, exposure to heavy metals and agricultural chemicals, and sports-related concussions. A 2022 study found markedly higher MND risk among former international rugby players, with comparable risks observed in other cohorts such as farmers and veterans, and diagnosed players have increased public awareness even as scientific uncertainty continues.

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