Rugger's a bugger for arthritis
Former elite players have higher rates of pain and disability
3rd October 2017
A rugby career can lead to osteoarthritis, joint replacement and osteoporosis, a study of union players in the UK has found.
A survey of 259 former elite male rugby players found that by the age of 50, they were four times more likely to have osteoarthritis, six times more likely to have joint replacement at the hip and knee, and three times more likely to have osteoporosis compared with a control group of non-players.
Rugby players were also twice as likely to have problems related to mobility (affecting 47% of players) and pain or discomfort (74