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'That weighs heavily on my mind... it scares the s*** out of me'

By PA
England's lock Joe Launchbury (R) and US lock Nick Civetta vie in a maul during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool C match between England and the United States at the Kobe Misaki Stadium in Kobe (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP via Getty Images)

The commitment of the Oxford University men’s rugby team to help towards a better future for the next generation of players has been praised after they pledged to donate their brains to the Concussion Legacy Project.

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Ahead of Saturday’s varsity match at Twickenham, the Oxford players have followed in the footsteps of England World Cup winner Steve Thompson by offering to give their brains to research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other consequences of brain trauma in contact sport.

The Concussion Legacy Project brain bank was only launched in September through a partnership between Concussion Legacy Foundation UK and the Jeff Astle Foundation but this pledge represents the third major donation to help in the battle to prevent former sporting athletes being diagnosed with dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.

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USA international Nick Civetta is part of the Oxford squad and while the 32-year-old is in the latter stages of his career, the majority of his team-mates are only starting out, and he has talked up their understanding of why this is such an important issue.

“Neurodegenerative disease in contact sport is something that weighs heavily on my mind and should be in the back of the mind of every parent or player of a contact sport,” Civetta told the PA news agency.

“The synergy of us being rugby players, also scholars and people who are concerned about their brains functioning and brain health later in life, it seemed like a no-brainer.

“Also these are uncomfortable conversations to have with your team-mates, especially the younger ones who are starting out in their rugby career but the way the guys have responded to the opportunity to contribute to an organisation with such important goals for our sport was really impressive.

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“I was really impressed with the way they were able to compartment analyse the heavier aspect of what CLF does and their commitment has been really great.”

Civetta, who played at the 2019 World Cup and faced England at Twickenham last summer, has been encouraged by the work of CLF UK, who aim to find a cure for CTE by 2040.

It has long been felt America are ahead of the UK in efforts to prevent retired contact-sport players suffering dementia, which is largely down to the rise in current and former NFL players who reported traumatic brain injuries at the start of the 21st century.

As a result concussion protocols for American Football were brought in for 2009 but across the Atlantic other sports and countries have been slower to react until recent years.

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Oxford lock Civetta added: “The fact the US got started on this is part and parcel with the scary things that have been happening to American Football players over the last 20 to 30 years.

“With rugby being almost into its 30th year as a professional sport, you are starting to get a first generation of guys who were professional rugby players, now in their forties and fifties, who are potentially starting to see symptoms and that scares the s*** out of me!

“It should certainly be cause for more money to go into research for this sort of thing.”

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While Civetta has only experienced concussion on three or four occasions during a career that has seen him play domestically in France, Italy and England, he has seen the devastating impact a lack of understanding on the issue can have.

The former Newcastle and Doncaster forward feels positive steps are being made in his sport which, coupled with the work of the likes of CLF, will aim to help the next generation of players enjoy a brighter post-retirement future.

“Hopefully in the next five to 10 years we have a way out of this disease whether it is with a cure or through the ability to diagnose really early and find treatment,” he said before Saturday’s 150th anniversary of the Oxford vs Cambridge varsity match.

“It is everywhere and has touched probably every rugby player through their friends and team-mates over the years so it is scary.

“You can’t avoid it. I think I have been fairly lucky and suffered three, maybe four minor concussions over the course of my career.

“But I have been on the field with guys who have got concussed, stayed on, got concussed again and ended up with second-impact syndrome, brain bleeds and having to get a quarter of their skull removed with that being the end of their career.

“It is pervasive, it is everywhere and the risk that comes part and parcel with the sport but we need to design the sport to accommodate for the best outcome for people’s brain health right?

“I think that is a big part of what CLF is aiming at and a big part of what World Rugby is aiming at with their cutting-edge concussion protocols which will hopefully continue to improve.”

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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