Rugby-Half of elite players showed changes in brain volume - concussion study

FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Lions Tour - Sharks v British and Irish Lions - Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa - July 10, 2021 British and Irish Lions' Conor Murray during a scrum REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo

(Reuters) - A scientific study has found that 50% of elite rugby players showed an unexpected change in brain volume due to impacts to the head, with the foundation that funded the research calling for change in rugby protocols for their long-term welfare.

The study, funded by the Drake Foundation, said around 23% of players also had abnormalities in brain structure in the white matter and blood vessels.