Bold statement: Rugby’s safety story is not a straight line from brutal hits to perfect protection—it’s a real, ongoing debate about how to balance love for the game with players’ long-term health. And this is the part most people miss: the sport has already made significant strides, even as conversations about risk continue to evolve.
Ben Youngs, the former England scrum-half, shares a personal journey into rugby’s safety landscape through a BBC Sport documentary. He recalls the moment he could not keep it together and needed to step away, describing how tears streamed as he left the stands, collected himself, and then embraced a former teammate, Lewis Moody. The emotional moment underscores how deeply rugby’s dangers touch players off the field, even when they’ve built reputations on fierce on-field performances.
The documentary tackles a painful tension: despite numerous high-profile cases of MND (motor neuron disease) among former players, there is no conclusive scientific link between repeated concussions and MND. Moody, affectionately nicknamed “Mad Dog,” reflects on his aggressive style and notes he has no regrets about how hard he played the game. Rugby remains beautiful yet brutal, carrying inherent head-injury risks.
Youngs wonders aloud: Is the elite game we played—one that even his son Boris enjoys on Sundays—truly safe? He sets out to investigate honestly, not to dampen enthusiasm for rugby but to understand what is being done to reduce head injuries.
The documentary, titled Ben Youngs Investigates: How Safe Is Rugby?, invites viewers to see the sport’s safety measures up close. It aired on BBC One at 22:40 GMT on a Tuesday following an initial release on iPlayer.
Youngs entered the project with healthy skepticism, worried about what truths might emerge. He acknowledges that concussion, long-term health issues, and former players facing ongoing struggles have dominated public discourse, and he hopes more people will keep playing rugby rather than fear it. Still, he recognizes this as an opportunity to pull back the curtain and examine the sport’s response to head injuries.
His reflection spans a career arc from an era without on-field head injury assessments to a time when medical protocols matter more than ever. He notes a watershed moment: Ireland’s Garry Ringrose withdrew from a 2025 British and Irish Lions Test due to concussion symptoms, illustrating how players now prioritize health before glory. He also candidly recalls Anthony Watson revealing that he “cheated” the head injury assessment by memorizing the five words he would be asked to repeat, to return to play in the 2017 Lions Test—an admission that highlights the pressure athletes felt to play through symptoms.
Youngs’ honesty extends to a tough question about himself: would he have pulled out of the 2019 Rugby World Cup final if concussion symptoms were present? He admits he would not have, citing the significance of that match and his determination to deal with consequences later. He then asks a broader question: have his generation and the culture around rugby contributed to safety problems?
Moody and former teammate Steve Thompson—an RWC winner who now faces early-onset dementia—offer contrasting perspectives. Thompson recalls brutal pre-professional training, with two daily sessions and up to 100 live scrums, when concussion recognition was limited. The documentary shares Thompson’s concerns about being protected and his recent participation in a concussion-related lawsuit against rugby authorities, who deny liability. He expresses deep hesitation about letting his own children play rugby, feeling that safety improvements, while substantial, have not fully eliminated risks as players have grown bigger, faster, and stronger. Thompson even describes preferring to work on a building site over chasing a World Cup memory he cannot fully remember.
During his interview, Thompson opens up about experiencing suicidal thoughts, a stark reminder of the mental strain that can accompany the sport’s physical toll. For Youngs, this was a jarring moment that reinforced the need to address mental health openly and honestly within the rugby community.
The documentary also introduces a shift in culture: Lindsay Starling, World Rugby’s science and medical manager, explains how past practices inform present safety measures. The sport has invested heavily in head-injury research, introduced innovations such as smart mouthguards to alert medical staff of possible concussions, and implemented independent doctors at matches to oversee head-injury assessments, removing some decision-making from players themselves.
Youngs notes the importance of the modern era’s protocols, including the 2015 introduction of the HIA (head injury assessment). His career spans from 2007 to 2025, framing his experience against leaders who retired earlier and against the evolution of safety culture in rugby. He highlights how insights from players like Kat Merchant—who describes how multiple concussions affected her sensory processing—keep the conversation alive, reminding everyone that safety must remain a priority.
The documentary’s practical impact on everyday rugby is also visible at the grassroots level. Youngs and his family watch his son Boris play, and they observe an opposing player taking an HIA—a far cry from the old “magic sponge and bucket” approach. This moment reinforces the idea that safety expectations are now normalized from the top level down to local clubs.
Youngs is clear about his wish for brain testing to become standard for former players. The RFU offers a free brain-test program for retired English elite players, a resource Youngs would have pursued had he noticed symptoms after his career, though he personally did not. He hopes the documentary’s influence will extend beyond his own experience, encouraging others to consider testing, including his brother Tom, who played in the front row and may be at higher risk.
Lying in the MRI scanner to examine his brain brought an unexpected mix of nerves and reassurance. He is grateful that his results were clear, but the moment underscored a broader truth: even with progress, risk remains in contact sports.
In Youngs’ view, rugby has made meaningful strides—reducing contact in training, refining HIA protocols, and advancing safety research. Yet he cautions that more work is needed: shortening seasons, continuing to trim contact in training, and carefully balancing player responsibility with safety protocols. He believes rugby is safer than he expected, but the journey toward fully mitigating risk continues.
If you or someone you know might need help with dementia, MND, or feelings of despair, resources are available at BBC Action Line.
Ben Youngs spoke with BBC Sport’s Alastair Telfer about these revelations and what they mean for rugby, from elite stages to grassroots clubs.
