Two world-renowned former rugby stars have joined with Alan Shearer in stepping up the fight against dementia in sport.
Shane Williams, the all-time record try scorer for Wales, and World Cup-winning England lock Ben Kay are among 50 former elite rugby players to have backed the prevent PREVENT:RFC project, the latest phase of the Sport United Against Dementia campaign.
It builds on the existing UK and Ireland-wide PREVENT project, which also includes an informal pilot study with footballer players, including Alan Shearer, the Premier League’s record goalscorer turned BBC pundit.
Recently, the former England captain presented the BBC documentary ‘Alan Shearer: Dementia, Football and Me’, which investigated the link between the game and brain injury.
The large-scale PREVENT:RFC research, funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, will look at vital unanswered questions, such as whether elite rugby players show more early warning signs of dementia than the general population, and if so, why this is the case.
“It was really important to me as a rugby player to take part in this study. There has been a lot of media coverage around this topic lately and as a result, I know lots of players are worried about their dementia risk,” says Kay.
“Hopefully, by doing this research now, we can get a better understanding of this issue and make a real difference for the future.”
Shearer adds: “I’ve been following the sport and dementia conversation for years now – and there’s still more I want to learn about the science behind the stories in the news.
“I know the risk of dementia is something that worries many players, so work directed to understanding the earliest stage of dementia is incredibly important, and this study in rugby players will add to our understanding of that in sport.”
PREVENT:RFC will be based in Edinburgh with Professor Craig Ritchie, PREVENT’s principal investigator, working in collaboration with Professor William Stewart from the University of Glasgow. Previous research led by Professor Stewart revealed that professional footballers appear to be five times more likely to die from Alzheimer’s disease than the general population.
Through committing a further £250,000 to research, the PREVENT:RFC project involves further participants to the 700 people already enrolled in PREVENT, and will undergo an initial assessment—involving physical health checks, brain scans, memory assessments, lifestyle questionnaires and sample collections – and then return for another visit two years later.
PREVENT – part of the groundbreaking Sport United Against Dementia campaign, which continues to unite the collective power and reach of sport for the first time to improve the lives of current and former players of all levels – is funded by the Alzheimer’s Society for over seven years and follows people aged 40 to 59, aiming to find ways of detecting dementia before symptoms appear, and stopping people from developing the disease.
It takes place at the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London, Trinity College Dublin, University of Cambridge and University of Oxford.
Dr Richard Oakley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Society, funder of the PREVENT study, says:
“This is a desperately needed, exciting world-class research study looking to answer questions around brain health in elite rugby players.
“There’s been a lot of attention focused on sports players who’ve developed dementia, and that’s raised important questions about whether playing sports like football and rugby increases the risk of developing the condition.
“While we’re seeing some evidence of a potential link, the latest findings don’t explain why sports players may be at a greater risk of developing dementia.
“Alongside launching Sport United Against Dementia, we’re really excited to fund this new phase of the PREVENT study – we hope it’ll provide the answers so many people are looking for.”
Professor Stewart, consultant neuropathologist and honorary professor at the University of Glasgow, adds: “It is vitally important we better understand the links between sports such as football and rugby and dementia, so we can better protect players from any risks they may face.
“Previous research led by our team at the University of Glasgow demonstrated the increased risk of neurodegenerative disease in former professional football players.
“I am delighted to be a part of this latest PREVENT study into professional rugby players, and the adjoining pilot looking at professional football players, so we can bring more insight to this important research area.”
