Shane Christie, former Highlanders and New Zealand Maori rugby player, has died at 39. Christie, who suffered multiple concussions during his career, suspected he had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition linked to mood, memory, and behavioral changes, according to Al Jazeera.
He had planned to donate his brain to research to help make rugby safer and co-founded the Billy Guyton Foundation to raise awareness about concussion risks. Since retiring, he experienced headaches, memory lapses, and other symptoms linked to repeated head injuries.
New Zealand Rugby expressed condolences, praising Christie’s passion for the sport. The growing concern over CTE has also led over 1,000 former rugby players in the UK to pursue legal action against governing bodies, seeking compensation and reforms to protect player safety, Al Jazeera reported.
