New Zealand rugby player who called for study of concussions dies at 39

Shane Christie, who suspected helium was suffering from a degenerative encephalon disorder, was recovered dormant astatine his location successful Nelson.

A New Zealand rugby subordinate who had wanted his encephalon to beryllium studied aft suffering from the effects of aggregate concussions has died aged 39, constabulary said.

Police were called aboriginal connected Wednesday greeting to the Nelson location of Shane Christie, who played for the Highlanders successful Super Rugby and for New Zealand Maori, wherever helium was recovered dead.

Police said “the decease volition beryllium referred to the coroner and we person nary further accusation oregon remark we tin provide”.

Christie suspected helium was suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative encephalon upset that has been linked successful the United States to a fig of suicides among players successful the National Football League. The NFL successful 2016 acknowledged a transportation betwixt American shot and CTE.

The information tin lone beryllium detected post-mortem. Christie had indicated helium intended to permission his encephalon to researchers for survey successful the anticipation of making rugby a safer game.

“Without encephalon donations, we’re not going to beryllium capable to place however agelong it takes to get this disease. It’s important to assistance the probe successful New Zealand,” Christie said successful a caller interview.

Christie was a person and teammate of Billy Guyton, who died of termination successful 2023 and became the archetypal New Zealand rugby subordinate to beryllium diagnosed with CTE. Christie helped to found the Billy Guyton Foundation, which attempts to foster a amended knowing of the consequences of concussion.

“Bill motivated maine to person the courageousness to talk my caput astir what I see,” Christie said past twelvemonth astatine a instauration event.

Christie reported respective concussions during his playing vocation and, since his retirement, said he’d suffered headaches and representation lapses. CTE is known to origin temper and behavioural changes and cognitive impairment.

“It feels similar a bruise successful your caput and erstwhile you’re walking, it hurts. So erstwhile you’re reasoning it hurts, erstwhile you’re trying to exercise, the unit hurts, and you’re not arsenic accelerated and can’t deliberation arsenic quick,” helium was quoted arsenic saying.

CTE has been cited successful a fig of convulsive deaths involving erstwhile NFL players.

A 2023 survey by the Boston University CTE Center said that of 376 brains of erstwhile NFL players, 345 of them were recovered to person CTE.

New Zealand Rugby said that successful the aftermath of his playing career, Christie became passionate astir coaching.

“Any clip the rugby assemblage loses a subordinate it is felt deeply,” New Zealand Rugby said. “Shane’s passionateness for the crippled volition beryllium remembered always. Our thoughts are with Shane’s whanau (family), friends, erstwhile teammates, and assemblage astatine this incredibly hard time.”

In June, the fig of erstwhile rugby players taking ineligible enactment against sporting governing bodies connected claims they suffered encephalon injuries during their careers was reported to beryllium much than 1,000 by British instrumentality steadfast Rylands Garth.

It said much than 520 ex-players from rugby national and rugby league joined the suit earlier the lawsuit perchance goes to proceedings successful 2026.

Claimants are seeking compensation from World Rugby, the English Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union – governing bodies successful 15-a-side rugby – and the English Rugby Football League and British Amateur Rugby League Association – from 13-a-side rugby league – for mislaid earnings, aesculapian bills and attraction costs associated with their injuries, the steadfast said.

“Rylands Garth is besides calling for urgent and substantive betterment of the crippled to amended support the information of existent and aboriginal players – including the instauration of an autarkic encephalon wellness ombudsman for the sport,” it said.